Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) has selected sitting MP Amol Kolhe as its candidate for the Shirur Lok Sabha seat. The announcement was made by senior party leader Jayant Patil on Thursday during a 'Vijay Nischay' meeting of party workers in Hadapsar, just two days after the Election Commission of India (ECI) recognised the faction headed by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar as the real NCP.
Kolhe, a popular Marathi actor known for portraying Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj in movies and television serials, began his political journey with the Shiv Sena. However, he later resigned and joined the NCP before the 2019 elections. He contested from the Shirur constituency and defeated three-time sitting MP Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil.
Ajit Pawar, reportedly disgruntled with Kolhe for refusing to align with him, recently vowed to ensure Kolhe's defeat. Without naming Kolhe directly, Pawar remarked, "If an MP had paid attention to his constituency in five years, it would have benefited. That MP was given a ticket by me. I and Dilip Walse-Patil put in our best efforts to ensure his election." Pawar criticised Kolhe for allegedly neglecting the Shirur Lok Sabha constituency and claimed that Kolhe wanted to resign as "his movies were getting affected".
In response to Ajit Pawar’s criticism, Kolhe stated, "Ajit Pawar is a senior leader. I cannot comment on what he said. I don’t think he will challenge a small worker like me. However, it is true that whenever I performed well, he appreciated it."
Recently, Kolhe indirectly criticised the BJP government for allegedly politicising the Ram Temple consecration ceremony through a Hindi poem recited during a debate over President Droupadi Murmu’s address to Parliament. In his poem, the Shirur MP took digs at the ruling dispensation regarding issues such as inflation, unemployment, the perceived interference of Central agencies, and more. This poem garnered widespread attention on social media, earning him much appreciation.
