Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday emphasised the importance of electing the Mahayuti candidate from Maval with even more votes than last time, during a coordination meeting of Mahayuti allies for the Maval Lok Sabha Constituency.
"Despite a long-standing relationship with the opposition candidate Sanjog Waghere, certain protocols must be observed once the election campaign commences," Pawar urged NCP workers, advising them not to engage with the opposition candidate and maintain distance until polling day on May 13.
Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Anil Patil, Industries Minister Uday Samant, Mahayuti candidate MP Shrirang Barne, MLA Ashwini Jagtap, Sunil Shelke, Uma Khapare, and Chandrakanta Sonkamble of the Athavale group were present at the meeting.
Pawar also emphasised the need for a focus on developmental politics in changing times.
Pawar affirmed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dedication to the nation's safety and economic growth. He highlighted Modi's commitment to delivering development projects and challenged opposition promises, emphasising the significance of this election in shaping the future of the youth, while dismissing opposition claims and prioritising development over rhetoric.
Pawar also reaffirmed the nation's commitment to defending the constitution and ensuring the continuation of democratic elections.
Amidst the meeting, tensions arose as RPI office-bearers expressed displeasure over the exclusion of the RPI group's city president from the platform. Minister Samant intervened to address their concerns, arranging a meeting with candidate Srirang Barane to resolve the issue.
What do the numbers say?
Maval, one of the 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra, was created in 2008 as part of the implementation of the Presidential notification based on the recommendations of the Delimitation Commission of India constituted in 2002. The constituency faced its first election in 2009 and since then has been a bastion of Shiv Sena. It was represented by Gajanan Babar in 2009 and Shrirang Barne in 2014 and 2019. The Maval Lok Sabha constituency consists of Panvel, Karjat and Uran assembly constituencies in Raigad district and Maval, Chinchwad and Pimpri assembly constituencies in Pune district.
This year, the constituency is going to witness a straight fight between two Shiv Senas – sitting MP Shrirang Barne of Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Sanjog Waghere Patil of Shiv Sena (UBT). It will be an interesting fight to prove who gets hold of the constituency since Shiv Sena had defeated the NCP every time in these elections including that of Parth Pawar, son of deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who was defeated by Barne in 2019.
In the diverse political landscape of Maharashtra, representatives from key constituencies wield significant influence. Prashant Thakur represents Panvel for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while Karjat sees Mahendra Thorve of the Shiv Sena. Mahesh Baldi runs independently in Uran, reflecting varied political dynamics. Sunil Shelke represents Maval for the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), while Ashwini Laxman Jagtap holds Chinchwad for the BJP. Anna Bansode, affiliated with the NCP, represents the Pimpri constituency (SC).
