Mumbai: More than half a dozen high-profile switchovers have taken place coinciding with the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra with proper understanding and strategic political thinking - and these involve big families and dynasties.
This includes both the alliances - ruling Maha Yuti (NDA) and opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (I.N.D.I.A. bloc) - and majority of them involve political families.
They are Navneet Rana (Amravati), Nilesh Lanke (Ahmednagar), Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil (Shirur), Raju Parwe (Ramtek), Amar Kale (Wardha), Archana Patil (Osmanabad) and Dhairyasheel Mohite-Patil (Madha).
The developments of these constituencies are being closely watched in political circles - and some of these may go through touch-and-go situations.
One of the key constituencies, Amravati is witnessing an interesting battle where Navneet Rana, who won the 2019 Lok Sabha polls as an Independent with backing of Sharad Pawar-led undivided NCP, has joined the BJP to contest the seat. Her husband, Ravi Rana a three-time Independent MLA from Badnera is founder of Yuva Swabhiman Paksha. Navneet Rana is pitted against Congress’ candidate Balwant Wankhede, the Daryapur MLA and Dinesh Boob of Prahar Janshakti Party.
Nilesh Lanke is currently an NCP MLA from Parner. After the split in the 25-year-old NCP founded by Sharad Pawar, he chose to be with Ajit Pawar, who switched over to the NDA-camp to become the deputy chief minister and claim the real NCP party and symbol. However, he returned to Pawar Senior and is now a candidate from Ahmednagar to contest against Dr Sujoy Vikhe-Patil, the son of state’s Revenue Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil. The Vikhe-Patils and Pawars are arch political rivals.
Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil is a three-time MP of undivided Shiv Sena from Shirur. In 2019, he was defeated by Dr Amol Kolhe of undivided NCP. Patil had switched sides from Uddhav Thackeray to Eknath Shinde after the June-July 2022 split. However, since he was keen to contest, he joined the Ajit Pawar-led NCP as the seat was part of his quota. Patil takes on Dr Kolhe who is now contesting on a NCP (SP) ticket.
In Ramtek (SC), the Maha Yuti undertook a strategic move making Raju Parwe, a Congress MLA from Umred to resign and join Shiv Sena to contest against Rashmi Barve of the Congress. However, the latter’s caste certificate landed in trouble and instead her husband Shyam Barve was made the official candidate. The Barve-couple are considered close to Congress leader Sunil Kedar, five-time MLA from Saoner.
In Wardha, Ramdas Tadas, the two-time sitting BJP MP faces Amar Kale, who has joined Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) after leaving Congress - as a strategic move. Kale is a two-time MLA from Arvi, a seat which his father Dr Sharadrao Kale represented five times. The Congress allowed him to join Pawar Senior.
In Osmanabad, Archana Patil, the wife of Archana Patil, the wife of BJP MLA Rana Jagjitsinh Patil is fighting her husband’s cousin Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar, who is with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT). Archana Patil is daughter-in-law of veteran politician Padamsinh Patil, who is step-brother of Sunetra Pawar, the wife of Ajit Pawar.
In Madha, Sharad Pawar has fielded Dhairyasheel Mohite-Patil, who quit the BJP to join NCP (SP), to take on BJP’s sitting MP Ranjitsinh Naik-Nimbalkar. Incidentally, Pawar Senior had won Madha in 2009. However, in 2014, undivided NCP’s Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil, a former deputy chief minister, won the polls. Dhairyasheel Mohit-Patil is the nephew of Vijaysingh Mohite-Patil and cousin of BJP legislator Ranjitsinh Mohite-Patil.
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