Nanded is one of the rare constituencies in Maharashtra that survived the Modi wave in 2014 when Ashok Chavan won by around 80,000 votes. Now, 5 years down the line, Congress is looking to ensure that party's Maharashtra chief retains the seat. Hence Rahul Gandhi has campaigned in Nanded to energise party's machinery in Marathwada region. Raj Thackeray whose MNS is not fighting in the Lok Sabha polls is opening canvassing against BJP and Sena and addressed a massive rally in Nanded.
In Marathwada, Congress is looking for consolidation of votes of Marathas, Muslim and Dalits for electoral success. In Nanded, alongside these three voting blocks, there are also Lingayats, whom the Congress has been wooing for long. Ashok Chavan, a Maratha is pitted against BJP's Pratap Chikhalikar, who is an MLA in the assembly. Pratap has the rare distinction of being part of all four major parties of Maharashtra during his political career.
Historically, barring four times, Congress has always won Nanded. BJP has won from the seat once, in 2004.
Nanded has been a Chavan family bastion for close to four decades. Ashok Chavan's father Shankarro Chavan won from Nanded in 1980 and 1984. When he became CM, Ashok Chavan won byelection from this seat. However he lost in the 1989 Lok Sabha election. His brother-in-law Bhaskarrao Khatgaonkar won thrice from Nanded but later defected to Shiv Sena.
Thus the scales are no doubt tipped against Chikhalikar. However, BJP is not willing to give up without a fight. PM Modi has campaigned in Nanded where he accused Congress-NCP of being corrupt and taking soft stance on national security.
17,19,247 voters will decide the fate of 14 candidates in fray. Apart from Congress and BJP, Samajwadi Party's Abdul Samad Abdul Karim and Yashpal Bhinge from VBA are in constituency.
Bhokar, Nanded-North, Nanded-South, Jalgaon, Deglur and Mukhed Assembly segments are part of Nanded Lok Sabha constituency. It goes to poll on 18th April.
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 "Rahul Gandhi and Ashok Chavan campaigning in Nanded")
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