As polling for the Nashik Lok Sabha constituency is set to take place on May 20, Saturday marked the final day of campaigning. All the candidates from Nashik and Dindori constituencies seemed busy appeasing voters, especially, Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi are displayed a strong show of strength in Nashik.
A notable incident occurred during a rally organised by the Mahavikas Aghadi where factions of the Shiv Sena came face to face, prompting a swift response from the police.
A rally was organised by the Mahavikas Aghadi by Vijay Karanjkar, who recently switched allegiance from the Thackeray group to the Shinde group. The rally, held in Bhagur, saw a significant presence of women. During the event, office bearers from both Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena faction and Uddhav Thackeray's faction came face to face, leading to a war of slogans between the two groups. Police intervened to prevent any disputes.
Sudhakar Badgujar, the district head of the Shiv Sena Thackeray group, commented on the incident, stating that the rally showcased the aggressive support for the Thackeray group, with only a few members from the Shinde group present. He emphasised that Bhagur has a strong respect for freedom fighter Savarkar as well as Shiv Sena, and expressed confidence that Maha Vikas Aghadi candidate Rajabhau Waje would secure a significant margin from Bhagur.
Rajabhau Waje shares experience
Rajabhau Waje, the Mahavikas Aghadi candidate, shared his campaign experience, highlighting the positive response from voters in both urban and rural areas of the constituency. He noted that the early announcement of his candidature provided him with ample time to campaign effectively. Waje clarified that the rally in Bhagur was not intended as a show of power but was part of the final campaign efforts, and the campaign is concluding with this event.
As the Nashik and Dindori Lok Sabha constituency prepares for polling, the final day of campaigning has been marked by significant political activity and confrontations, reflecting the high stakes and intense competition between the contesting factions.
In the Nashik Lok Sabha constituency, a total of 31 candidates are in the fray, including Hemant Godse of the Shinde group from the Mahayuti, Rajabhau Waje of the Thackeray group from the Maha Vikas Aghadi, Shantigiri Maharaj of the Jai Babaji family who has entered as a independent candidate, and Karan Gaikar of the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi.
In the Dindori Lok Sabha Constituency, which is a leader in onion production, there are a total of ten candidates in the fray, but the real fight will be between the BJP candidate of the Grand Alliance, Dr Bharti Pawar, and the candidate of the Nationalist Sharad Pawar Group, Bhaskar Bhagre form Maha Vikas Aghadi. Dr Pawar was relieved when former MP Harishchandra Chavan rested his sword of rebellion and withdrew from the constituency. On the other hand, Bhaskar Bhagare felt relieved after the withdrawal of the application by the former MLA GP Gavit.
Major clashes
Nashik Lok Sabha constituency:
Hemant Godse (Mahayuti- Shinde group)
Rajabhau Waje (Maha Vikas Aghadi- Thackeray group)
Shantigiri Maharaj (Independent)
Karan Gaikar (Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi)
Dindori Lok Sabha constituency:
Dr Bharti Pawar (Mahayuti- BJP)
Bhaskar Bhagre (Maha Vikas Aghadi- NCP(SP))
