Two Shiv Senas and two Nationalist Congress Parties (NCPs) will be in the poll fray in Maharashtra come November 20, facing each other on 85 seats in total. Voters will be presented with the choice of choosing their own faction to support on 49 seats – Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde or Shiv Sena (UBT) led by Uddhav Thackeray. On 36 seats, voters can choose from either the NCP led by Ajit Pawar or NCP (SP) and on five seats, two or more allies of the same alliance — Mahayuti or Maha Vikas Aghadi— face each other in a ‘friendly fight’.
As per the final seat sharing formula of the Mahayuti, the BJP is fighting on 148 seats, Sena on 80 and NCP on 53 seats. Five of the remaining seven seats have been allotted to smaller parties. Ashti, Morshi and Anushaktinagar constituencies will witness a ‘friendly fight’ between the three parties. On the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) side, Congress is fighting on 101 seats, Sena (UBT) on 94 seats and NCP (SP) on 88 seats. A ‘friendly fight’ will be fought for Paranada and Pandharpur seat between the three allies.
In the Lok Sabha polls, Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar clashed on two seats and the senior Pawar triumphed in both. On the other hand, Mr. Shinde managed to win seven of the thirteen seats where he clashed head-on with Mr. Thackeray. Congress was the biggest winner in the six-way fight as it won 13 of the 17 seats it contested, while BJP performed the worst, winning only 9 of the 28 seats it contested.
Here’s a look at the war of factions in these Assembly polls:
Sena Vs Sena
Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde will engage in a battle to stake claim over the Shiv Sena legacy in 19 seats in and around Mumbai, its core bastion. Other seats where the two factions will clash include Konkan, Marathwada, Vidarbha and North Maharashtra.
Here are five key seats which will witness the most intense battle
Kopri Pachpakhadi - Eknath Shinde Vs Kedar Dighe
Shiv Sena leader and incumbent CM Eknath Shinde is seeking a fourth term from Kopri-Pachpakhadi seat – one of five Assembly seats under the Thane Lok Sabha constituency. Rising from the Shiv Sena shakhas in Thane since 1980, Mr. Shinde holds an iron-fisted influence in the area. However, he faces his late mentor Anand Dighe’s nephew Kedar Dighe, who has been fielded by Sena (UBT).
Mahim - Sadanand Sarvankar Vs Mahesh Sawant
Mahim is expected to witness a triangular poll fight between Shiv Sena’s incumbent MLA Sadanand Sarvankar, Sena (UBT)’s Mahesh Sawant and Amit Thackeray, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) scion making his poll debut. Mahim, a Sena bastion since 1990 which was briefly held between 2009 and 2014 by MNS, is in focus as BJP has expressed its ‘wish’ to back Mr. Thackeray.
Worli - Milind Deora Vs Aditya Thackeray
This Mumbai South constituency will witness a battle of scions as a third-generation Thackeray – Aaditya, faces a second-generation Deora – Milind. Mr. Thackeray, who is the incumbent MLA, has an edge over Mr. Deora, who was previously elected as Mumbai South MP on a Congress ticket. Worli has been held by the Sena since 1990 and Mr. Deora, who has recently joined Shiv Sena, has his task cut out to overcome the strong Thackeray influence in this region.
Kudal - Nilesh Rane Vs Vaibhav Naik
Ex-CM Narayan Rane’ son and BJP leader Nilesh Rane has been fielded from his father’s old constituency Kudal on a Shiv Sena ticket. Kudal, which falls under the senior Rane’s Lok Sabha constituency Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, is a Sena bastion and has been held by Sena (UBT) MLA Vaibhav Naik since 2014. However, since Mr. Rane holds considerable influence in the region, he has been able to win this seat for the Sena since switching sides to the BJP. With the Sena split, the battle for this seat is expected to be close.
Pachora - Kishore Patil Vs Vaishali Suryavanshi
Cousins Kishore Patil and Vaishali Suryavanshi are in the poll fray to stake claim to Tatyasaheb R.O. Patil’s legacy. Mr. Patil, who is close to the Thackerays, has won the seat twice and his nephew Kishore Patil was chosen as the Shiv Sena pick in 2014. Rising from the municipal council to State Assembly, Kishore Patil has been the MLA since 2014 and has been re-nominated by Eknath Shinde for a third term. He faces debutant Vaishali Suryavanshi, who has invoked her father’s legacy in Jalgaon and the Thackeray backing, and is now contesting on a Sena (UBT) ticket.
NCP vs NCP-SP
Dark horse Ajit Pawar and veteran Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar are battling for the NCP’s future in Maharashtra on 36 seats. With 20 seats spanning across Western Maharashtra (the State’s sugar belt), the two NCPs face off in their core bastions. The fight for Baramati is the most personal one as Ajit Pawar faces his own nephew Yugendra Pawar for his seventh re-election bid.
Here are the five key fights in the sugar belt:
Baramati: Ajit Pawar Vs Yugendra Pawar
In the Lok Sabha polls, Sharad Pawar won the battle for Baramati as incumbent MP Supriya Sule triumphed over debutant Sunetra Pawar (Ajit Pawar’s wife). Since then, Ajit Pawar has sought the voters’ forgiveness for fielding his wife, urging them to “make him happy as they made Pawar (Saheb) happy in Lok Sabha.” Facing him is his brother Shrinivas’s son Yugendra, who actively campaigned for his aunt Supriya Sule in the Lok Sabha polls.
Indapur: Dattatraya Bharao Vs Harshvardhan Patil
Veteran Congress-turned-NCP minister Harshvardhan Patil, who seeks a fifth term from Indapur, faces Ajit Pawar’s aide and incumbent MLA Dattatray Bharne who is seeking his third term. Mr Patil, who was denied a ticket from the BJP, joined the Sharad Pawar faction just before these polls.
Tasgaon-Kavathemahankal: Sanjay Kaka Patil Vs Rohit Patil
Debutant Rohit Patil, son of late home minister R.R. Patil, is fighting on an NCP (SP) ticket against former BJP MP Sanjay Kaka Patil, who is fighting on an NCP ticket. The seat had been held by R.R. Patil since 1990 till his death in 2015, when his wife Sumantai Patil won it in the subsequent by-election. She was returned in 2019 as well.
With his 25-year-old son entering the poll fray, R.R. Patil’s heated rivalry with Ajit Pawar during the irrigation scam has come to forefront.
Yevla: Chhagan Bhujbal Vs Manikrao Shinde
Opposing sides of the Maratha quota agitation will clash in Nashik’s Yevla constituency as NCP’s OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal faces NCP (SP)’s Maratha leader Manikrao Shinde. With the Marathas seeking to be included in the OBC quota, a move opposed by the OBCs, the fight for Yevla will be difficult for incumbent MLA Chhagan Bhujbal, who is seeking his fifth term.
Parli: Dhananjay Munde Vs Rajesahab Deshmukh
Patching up their differences, NCP’s Dhananjay Munde is putting up a united fight with cousin Pankaja Munde, who recently lost her Lok Sabha bid. Parli is a Munde family bastion since the 1990s, when it was won by Gopinath Munde, and NCP (SP)’s newcomer Rajesaheb Deshmukh has his work cut out to register an impact.
Friendly fights
Despite BJP managing to convince most of its rebel candidates to withdraw their nominations, its Mahayuti alliance is engaged in four ‘friendly’ fights. Meanwhile, the MVA shall see one such friendly fight.
Ashti: Suresh Dhas (BJP) vs Balasaheb Ajbe (NCP)
NCP-turned-BJP leader Suresh Dhas, who held the Ashti seat in 2009, is pitted against NCP’s incumbent MLA Balasaheb Ajbe. Failing to converge around one Mahayuti candidate, the BJP and NCP are engaged in a friendly fight and face NCP(SP)’s Mahebub Ibrahim Sheikh.
Morshi: Umesh Yawalkar (BJP) vs Devendra Bhuyar (NCP), Girish Karale (NCP SP)
Independent MLA-turned-NCP leader Devendra Bhuyar is seeking his second term from Morshi. His bid is opposed by BJP’s Umesh Yawalkar and NCP (SP)’s Girish Karale.
Anushaktinagar: Sana Malik (NCP) vs Avinash Rane (Shiv Sena), Fahad Ahmed (NCP-SP)
Already opposed to NCP minister Nawab Malik’s poll participation, BJP and Shiv Sena also refused to back his daughter’s electoral debut from Anushaktinagar. Citing Mr. Malik’s alleged links to gangster Dawood Ibrahim, Sena has put up Avinash Rane in the poll fray in the constituency. In this Muslim-dominated seat which is held by her father, Ms. Malik is also pitted against SP leader Fahad Ahmed, who is fighting on an NCP-SP ticket.
Mankhurd Shivajinagar: Nawab Malik (NCP) Vs Suresh (Bullet) Patil (Shiv Sena), Abu Azmi (SP)
Similarly, BJP and Shiv Sena are backing Suresh (Bullet) Patil as the NCP remained adamant in pitching Nawab Malik for the Mankhurd Shivajinagar seat, another Muslim-dominated seat. Mr. Malik also faces three-time SP MLA Abu Asim Azmi, who is backed by the MVA.
Pandharpur: Samadhan Autade (BJP) Vs Bhagirath Bhalke (Congress), Anil Sawant (NCP SP)
The only friendly fight between MVA candidates will be witnessed in Pandharpur – a Congress bastion. Incumbent BJP MLA Samadhan Autade will face Congress’ Bhagirath Bhalake who is contesting from his father Bharat Bhalake’s seat. Also in the poll fray is NCP-SP newcomer Anil Sawant.
Published - November 11, 2024 01:57 pm IST
