The NCP bid to retain its grip over the Western Maharashtra, which represents the politically influential sugar lobby, faces challenge from party rebels at two constituencies.
The NCP bid to retain its grip over the Western Maharashtra, which represents the politically influential sugar lobby, faces challenge from party rebels at two constituencies - Kolhapur and Ahmednagar and its alliance partner Congress, too is confronted with similar predicament in Sangli, the seat dynastically held by former chief minister
Vasantdada Patil's family.
After being denied ticket, the sitting NCP MP from Kolhapur, Sadashiv Mandlik has filed his nomination as an independent to oppose the official party nominee Sambhajiraje
Chhatrapati. A disgruntled Mandlik came out openly against the NCP president Sharad Pawar, accusing him of adopting a 'use and throw' policy and ignoring trusted party workers, when it became clear that he was not being re-nominated.
The NCP opted for royalty choosing Sambhajiraje, a descendent of Chhatrapati
Shivaji. Though Sambhajiraje is expected to romp home with a popular support base, Mandlik who is being supported by Third Front parties is likely to take a large slice of NCP votes making it tough fight.
Also in the fray is Shiv Sena candidate Vijay Devne. Sharad Pawar who undertook a whirlwind tour of the region appealed to voters in Kolhapur to defeat Mandlik who he said had not opened his mouth in Parliament in the five-year tenure as party MP.
Queering the pitch for NCP in one more of its stronghold in the sugar belt is Tukaram Gadakh who too left the party after failing to get re-nominated from Ahmednagar
constituency. Gadakh, incumbent NCP MP crossed over to BSP which offered him ticket and entered the fray opposing official NCP nominee Shivaji Kardile in a triangular contest joined by Dilip Gandhi of BJP.
For Congress Pratik Patil's renomination from Sangli has led to intra-party bickering which has resulted in Ajit Ghorpade, a party MLA rebelling as an independent. Pratik is the grandson of late Vasantdada Patil, a former state chief minister and an architect of the cooperative movement in Western Maharashtra.
Maharashtra minister Dr Patangrao Kadam (Congress) who was interested in fielding his son Vishwajeet from Sangli, too expressed his displeasure openly criticizing party high command's decision to renominate Pratik and continuing a 'dynastic' tradition in the constituency which was also represented by Prakashbapu Patil, son of Vasantdada.
In a tactical move BJP declared that it was withdrawing its candidate Dipak Shinde who had filed his nomination, thus paving the way for a virtual straight contest between Pratik Patil and formidable rebel Ajit Ghorpade who is enjoying backing of Congress dissidents.
In Solapur, the Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde (Congress), pitted against BJP's Sharad Bansode is facing rough weather. The support declared by CPM MLA Narsayya Adam to BSP candidate Pramod Gaikwad could prove to Shinde's detriment as the BSP had polled a sizeable number of votes in 2004 elections.
In the bargain, it was BJP's Subhash Deshmukh who scraped through to defeat Ujwala, Shinde's wife and Congress candidate in the last election. The NCP has one more 'royal' candidate in Satara where it has fielded Udayan Raje Bhosale, sidelining its sitting MP Laxman Patil. Udayan Raje had crossed over to NCP from Congress a few days before Congress-NCP seat sharing in the state was announced.
Western Maharashtra also houses Madha constituency in Solapur district from where NCP president Sharad Pawar is contesting against Subhash Deshmukh (BJP), winner from Solapur in the previous election.
The NCP has fielded its candidates in eight of the 12 Lok Sabha constituencies in the region which comprises of six districts - Pune, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Solapur and
Ahmednagar.
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