Abhijit Bichukale, known for his appearances on Bigg Boss 15 and Bigg Boss Marathi, is gearing up to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Satara as an independent candidate, with plans to file his nomination papers on April 19.
Despite unsuccessful attempts in previous elections, including the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Satara, the 2019 Assembly elections from Worli, and the Kasba Assembly bypoll in 2023, Bichukale remains undeterred in his pursuit.
In the upcoming elections, Bichukale will face tough competition from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominee Udayanraje Bhosale and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) candidate Shashikant Shinde.
Expressing his aspirations, Bichukale stated, "I aim to chart a new course for the country by unifying society across various castes and religions. I urge all my supporters and residents of Satara to consider my candidacy. Together, let's put Satara on the world map and grant me the opportunity to serve in Delhi."
Satara, historically a Congress stronghold since the 1950s, witnessed a shift in dominance to Sharad Pawar's NCP after the party's formation in 1999. Udayanraje Bhosale secured consecutive victories in the 2009, 2014, and 2019 Lok Sabha polls on an NCP ticket. However, he resigned from the party and joined the BJP, necessitating a bypoll in Satara. In the bypoll, NCP's Shriniwas Patil defeated Bhosale by 87,717 votes. The visuals of Sharad Pawar drenched in rain and giving a speech were the highlight of this bypoll.
Satara is slated for voting in the third phase on May 7.
