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From Devendra Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde, Ajit Pawar, to Yugendra Pawar, Aaditya Thackeray, and Zeeshan Siddique, prominent leaders from these five constituencies will lock horns in the Maharashtra election
(From left) Devendra Fadnavis, Aaditya Thackeray, Ajit Pawar, and Zeeshan Siddique are some of the big names in the fray from these five constituencies. (News18)
The battle for Maharashtra is over for now as both the Mahayuti and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) wait with bated breath to find out who voters have picked to run the country’s financial capital for the next five years. Though Wednesday’s exit polls brought some cheer for the Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti as most pollsters predicted an edge for the Sena-BJP-NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), political parties too believe in taking such surveys with a pinch of salt.
The results for the Maharashtra election will be announced on November 23. For now, News18 takes a look at five key constituencies that will have everyone’s attention because of the clash of the greats.
WORLI
The high-profile assembly seat will see a triangular contest among Sena’s Milind Deora, Uddhav Thackeray’s son and Shiv Sena (UBT) scion Aaditya Thackeray, and Sandeep Deshpande of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).
Deora, a former MP from South Mumbai, has held several key positions, including minister of state for communications and information technology and shipping during the UPA-2 government. He jumped ship from the Congress to Shinde’s Sena and is confident of winning over urban middle-class voters. Speaking to CNN-News18 on Wednesday, Deora said Mahayuti had brought about development in the state. “We have busted the fake narrative of the Maha Vikas Aghadi. Chief minister Eknath Shinde enjoys a popular image. I have a strong connection with Worli and regardless of the result, I will keep working for Worli.”
Deora will battle it out with Aaditya Thackeray who, in his debut election in 2019, secured a landslide victory from Worli with 89,248 votes. Thackeray Jr’s hands-on approach during the Covid-19 pandemic won him praise in the constituency and he is seen as a youth icon who can carry forward the legacy of his father and grandfather Balasaheb Thackeray.
MNS’ Deshpande, meanwhile, is known for his focus on local issues, especially infrastructure and housing, and is a popular figure among Marathi-speaking voters.
BARAMATI
Baramati, the bastion of the Pawar family, will see a familial clash once again as Sharad Pawar’s grandnephew, Yugendra Pawar, will square off with Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. Yugendra, though a political greenhorn, has been mentored by veteran politician Sharad Pawar as well as his aunt Supriya Sule. He also holds the position of treasurer at Vidya Pratishthan, an educational institution founded by Sharad Pawar.
Ajit Pawar, meanwhile, has been the king of the constituency which is the turf of the Pawar family. He has won the seat for seven consecutive terms since 1991. In 2019, Ajit Pawar secured nearly 1.95 lakh votes and an overwhelming 83.24 per cent vote share.
The battle this time will also test the loyalty of voters — will they give Pawar Sr’s mentee a chance to show their allegiance to him or will they pick his nephew who also shares a close bond with the constituency?
NAGPUR SOUTH WEST
Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, also the BJP’s face in Maharashtra, will defend his turf against Prafful Gudadhe of the Congress who is an influential leader and has quelled the infighting in his party to give a stiff challenge to Fadnavis.
Fadnavis has represented the Nagpur South West constituency since 2009, winning three straight terms, and in the 2019 election, he won with over 49,000 votes. Gudadhe is known for his grassroots connect and could hit the BJP hard by capitalising on the negative public sentiment regarding some of the party’s economic policies.
VANDRE EAST
The assembly constituency will witness a contest between Zeeshan Siddique and Varun Sardesai, the nephew of Uddhav Thackeray.
Zeeshan Siddique, who has young voters and the Muslim community on his side, is well-known for his role in addressing local issues and his social media engagement with voters to help resolve their issues. Zeeshan is also the son of recently slain NCP leader Baba Siddique who was shot dead by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang just a month before elections. Experts feel this could get Zeeshan some sympathy votes.
Sardesai, meanwhile, has been a loyal soldier of the Shiv Sena (UBT) during the party’s split in 2022. He has wooed the traditional voter base of the Sena and enjoys a significant influence in Vandre East.
KOPRI-PACHPAKHADI
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will lock horns with Kedar Dighe, the nephew of his political mentor Anand Dighe, in the Kopri-Pachpakhadi assembly constituency in Thane.
Shinde has frequently referred to Anand Dighe as his guiding figure in politics and he even financed a Marathi film — Dharmaveer 2 — which is based on Dighe’s life and highlights Shinde’s close association with the late Shiv Sena strongman. Since the constituency’s inception in 2009, Eknath Shinde has won the last three elections from this seat.
- Location :
Maharashtra, India