It's a battle of supremacy in Khandesh

The 2014 Lok Sabha elections saw the BJP-Shiv Sena wiping out the Congress-NCP front but this time, it's going to be a major battle of supremacy.

It's definitely not going to be smooth sailing for the saffron alliance.

The most interesting contest is in Ahmednagar where Dr Sujay Vikhe-Patil of BJP will take on Sangram Jagtap of NCP, led by its supremo Sharad Pawar.

The political rivalry of the Pawars of Pune and the Vikhe-Patils of Ahmednagar dates back several decades.

Dr Sujay is the son of the leader of opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and senior Congressman Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil and grandson of late Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil. Since NCP refused to swap the seat with Congress, Dr Sujay joined the BJP.

Another interesting battle will be in Nashik, where Sameer Bhujbal, the nephew of former deputy chief minister and former MP Chhagan Bhujbal of NCP will take on Sena's sitting MP Hemant Godse.

The Nandurbar seat will see BJP's Dr Heena Gavit taking on Congress candidate KC Padavi. However, former Union minister and nine-time MP Manikrao Gavit was angry as he and his son, Bharat, were denied tickets by the Congress high-command. Senior Gavit was close to late prime minister Indira Gandhi.

It was from Tembhli village in Nundurbar that then prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi had launched the flagship Aadhar scheme.

There are several issues in the region. The twin districts of Dhule and Nandurbar have seen malnutrition deaths in the last decade.

Besides, the region lacks in infrastructure and industrial development and people want that it be taken beyond Nashik, which falls in the Golden Triangle of Mumbai-Pune-Nashik. 

Farmers face frequent crises involving onion. Rainfall, too, is an issue as the region is a mix of rain-fed and rain-shadow areas.