Mumbai: Whether it is Supriya Sule or Sunetra Pawar or for that matter Navneet Rana and Pankaja Munde - majority of the prominent woman candidates in Maharashtra are linked to political families and dynasties.
The biggest battle involving two ladies is being seen in Baramati, where veteran politician Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule of NCP (SP) is pitted against her sister-in-law Sunetra Pawar, the wife of her cousin Ajit Pawar, the Deputy Chief Minister and NCP President.
In Osmanabad, Sunetra Pawar’s step brother Padmasinh Patil’s daughter-in-law Archana Patil, was inducted into NCP and is contesting against her husband and BJP MLA Rana Jagjitsinh Patil’s cousin Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar, who is with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT).
In Chandrapur, Warora Congress MLA Pratibha Dhanorkar took on BJP’s high-profile leader and minister Sudhir Mungantiwar. Pratibha is wife of former Chandrapur MP Bala Dhanorkar, who passed away last year.
In Beed, Pankaja Munde, the daughter of former Deputy Chief Minister and BJP’s stalwart late Gopinath Munde and niece of late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan is contesting against NCP (SP)’s Bajrang Sonawane. The sitting Beed MP is Pankaja's sister Dr Pritam Munde.
From Solapur (SC), former Chief Minister and ex-Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s daughter and three-time MLA Praniti Shinde is taking on BJP’s MLA Ram Satpute.
From Amravati, sitting Independent MP Navneet Rana is contesting on a BJP ticket and she is wife of three-time Independent MLA from Badnera Ravi Rana. Navneet Rana is pitted against Balwant Wankhede, the Daryapur MLA and Dinesh Boob of Prahar.
From Raver, the BJP has fielded two-time sitting MP Raksha Khadke, who is the daughter-in-law of veteran politician Eknath Khadse, who is currently in NCP (SP) MLC and is set to return to his parent party BJP.
From Nandurbar (ST) seat, two-time MP Dr Heena Gavit, who is daughter of veteran politician Dr Vijaykumar Gavit is locking horns against Gowal Padwi of the Congress.
Against two-time Wardha MP Ramdas Tadas, his estranged daughter-in-law Pooja Tadas has filed papers as an Independent. Tadas is taking on NCP (SP)’s Amar Kale.
In Yavatmal-Washim, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has fielded Rajashri Patil, the wife of sitting Hingoli MP Hemant Patil, and is taking on Sanjay Deshmukh of Shiv Sena (UBT). Incidentally, Rajashri Patil was fielded in the palace of five-time Shiv Sena MP Bhawna Gawali, who is daughter of former MP Pundalikrao Gawali.
In Shirdi (SC) seat, the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi has fielded Utkarsha Rupwate, who left the Congress. Utkarsha comes from a political family. Her paternal grandfather Dadasaheb Rupwate was a trusted lieutenant of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and was a mass leader of the Dalit movement and was a minister. Her maternal grandfather Madhukarrao Chaudhari was a staunch Gandhian, active in the Sarvodaya movement. Her maternal great grandfather Dhanaji Nana Chaudhari was a Gandhian stalwart, social reformer, freedom fighter, and the main driving force behind the historical Faizpur Session of the Indian National Congress of 1937. Her father Premanand Rupwate was a Congress leader. Her maternal uncle Shirish Madhukarrao Chaudhari is an MLA from Raver.
In Dindori (ST) seat, Union Minister of State for Health Dr Bharti Pawar is contesting against Bhaskar Bagare of NCP (SP). Bharti is daughter-in-law of former minister AT Pawar, who was closely associated with Sharad Pawar.