<p class="title">In his maiden election, high-profile Maharashtra BJP president and revenue minister Chandrakant Patil is facing a combined strategic attack of the Opposition. </p>.<p class="bodytext">Currently an MLC, Patil, who is close to BJP president Amit Shah, is the second in command in the Devendra Fadnavis government.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Patil hails form Kolhapur but is contesting from Kothrud seat of Pune, which was earlier represented by the BJP’s Dr Medha Kulkarni.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In 2014, Medha had defeated Shiv Sena’s Chandrakant Mokate.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Patil, the 60-year-old veteran, is the leading Maharashtra BJP’s charge against NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Congress-NCP, in a tactical move, has decided to back Kishor Shinde of the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Shinde is confident and expects to be a “giant killer” in this polls.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He had earlier unsuccessfully contested three polls but this time around, he has the backing of the Congress and the NCP.</p>
<p class="title">In his maiden election, high-profile Maharashtra BJP president and revenue minister Chandrakant Patil is facing a combined strategic attack of the Opposition. </p>.<p class="bodytext">Currently an MLC, Patil, who is close to BJP president Amit Shah, is the second in command in the Devendra Fadnavis government.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Patil hails form Kolhapur but is contesting from Kothrud seat of Pune, which was earlier represented by the BJP’s Dr Medha Kulkarni.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In 2014, Medha had defeated Shiv Sena’s Chandrakant Mokate.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Patil, the 60-year-old veteran, is the leading Maharashtra BJP’s charge against NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Congress-NCP, in a tactical move, has decided to back Kishor Shinde of the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Shinde is confident and expects to be a “giant killer” in this polls.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He had earlier unsuccessfully contested three polls but this time around, he has the backing of the Congress and the NCP.</p>