After the application withdrawal process for Nashik and Dindori Lok Sabha constituencies was completed on Monday, the picture of the contest is now clear. In Nashik Lok Sabha there will be a fight between four key candidates and for Dindori Lok Sabha the fight will be between two key candidates and now campaigning has begun in real sense. With the rising temperature of summer, the politics will also heat up the atmosphere, as there will be rounds of strong accusations.
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.
The real fight will be going between these four. Sinnar’s Rajabhau Waje of the Thackeray group was announced as a candidate a month and a half ago, so he got a lot of time to campaign and is currently leading. Moreover, the allied parties together are working hard for him. On the other hand, Hemant Godse, the leader of the Shinde group of Mahayuti, got the nomination a week ago, but he has the experience of two terms behind him, so he can fill the campaign backlog. Mainly, the foot soldiers of BJP and the RSS are behind him to make his campaign strong at grassroot level.
Although there are signs that the main fight will be between these two candidates, Shantigiri Maharaj who entered as the independent candidate and Karan Gaikar of Vanchit have also created a strong challenge. Shantigiri Maharaj bhakt parivar and relations will be a major support for him. The alliance of Maratha and Dalit votes can be decisive for Karan Gaikar, the candidate of Vanchit.
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.
For Bhaskar Bhagare, farmers' anger over the onion export ban may shift the course. This Schedule Tribe-reserved constituency has been BJP-dominated for four terms, but now faces a direct contest between two candidates.
