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Maharashtra Elections 2014: Alliances over, kin face off in many seats

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Clockwise from top left: Pankaja Munde, her cousin Dhananjay Munde; Anil Deshmukh and his nephew Ashish Deshmukh
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The break-up in the BJP-Shiv Sena and Congress NCP alliances have given ample opportunities to aspirants to obtain party tickets. As a result of this, many politicians, including relatives, are battling against each other.

Politics drove a wedge in the family of late BJP leader Gopinath Munde when he chose his eldest daughter Pankaja to replace his nephew Dhananjay Munde in the Parli assembly constituency in 2009.

Dhananjay, who was made an MLC, had quit the BJP to join NCP. This assembly poll, the two cousins are pitted against each other. Pankaja, who has been brought to centre stage of BJP state unit after her father's sudden demise, is seeking re-election from Parli.

Ashish Deshmukh, nephew of NCP leader and food and civil supplies minister Anil Deshmukh, is pitted against his uncle in Katol, which Anil has been representing since 1995.

Ashish, who is a BJP candidate, is the son of former state Congress chief Ranjit Deshmukh, contested the 2009 assembly polls from Saoner. His elder brother Amol is the NCP candidate from Ramtek.

Congressman Sanjay Devtale jumped on to the BJP bandwagon after his party fielded his sister-in-law Asawari Devtale from Warora instead of him. Now, Devtale is pitted against Asawari, who is making her electoral debut.

Dr Rekha Shelke, principal, MGM College of Journalism & Mass Communication, said, "After the break-up of major alliances, parties will find it hard to get good candidates for each constituency."

Among those who lead the pack is the family of former NCP leader and minister Vijay Kumar Gavit, who is contesting on a BJP ticket from his constituency of Nandurbar. His younger brother Sharad Gavit, who had defeated veteran Congressman Surupsing Naik in 2009 from Navapur on a Samwajwadi Party ticket is now in NCP taking on Naik again from the same constituency. Another brother, Rajendra Gavit, is the NCP nominee from Shahada.

Similarly, even though Surupsing is the Congress candidate from Navapur, his relative Nagesh Padvi is the BJP nominee from Akkalkuwa.

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