Narendra Jadhav looks for Lok Sabha debut

After Nandan Nilekani, the Congress is learnt to be toying with the idea of fielding noted academic and Planning Commission Member Narendra Jadhav in the next Lok Sabha elections from Latur constituency in Maharashtra.

Jadhav, who is also member of the Sonia Gandhi-chaired National Advisory Council, is learnt to have started engaging with various social and political groups in the Marathwada region as a prelude to his plunge into electoral politics.

The Latur seat is currently held by Jaywantrao Awale, a former working president of the Maharashtra Congress, and is considered to be the bastion of the family of the late Vilasrao Deshmukh, a two-time chief minister and Union Minister.

Jadhav is the second prominent professional to be tapped by the Congress after Nandan Nilekani, the former Infosys CEO and Chairman of Unique Identification Authority of India, who is expected to be fielded from the Bangalore South Parliamentary constituency.

As a member of the NAC, Jadhav has focussed on a number of initiatives for the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes

and is seen as the driving force in having separate sub- plans with the Five Year Plan for welfare of these deprived classes.

A renowned author, he has been the Vice Chancellor ofPune University and also chaired a committee that went into the farmers’ suicides in Maharashtra.

In a bid to maximise gains in the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress is also mulling over fielding at least half a dozen senior ministers of Maharashtra government in the Parliamentary elections.

Prominent among those considered as possible candidates for the Lok Sabha elections include former Chief Ministers Narayan Rane and Ashok Chavan, ministers in the state government Balasaheb Thorat and Satej Patil.