Maharashtra
Maharashtra Elections 2024: BJP MP Narayan Rane Fields Both Sons From Konkan, Will Rane Family Retain Stronghold
Mumbai: All the candidates for the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections have filed their nomination on October 29. Several key families are in the fray including the Pawars in Baramati and Rane family from Konkan region. After being elected as the MP from the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Narayan Rane has now fielded his both sons Nilesh and Nitesh from the Kudal and Kankavali assembly seats.
Both the Kudal and Kankavali assembly constituencies fall under the Sindhudurg LS constituency. The ensuing state polls will determine whether the Rane family retains its stronghold in the Konkan region. However, the contest won’t be easy as the region is set to witness a fierce battle between Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena.
The Sena V/s Sena Fight
The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has fielded BJP MP Narayan Rane’s elder son Nilesh Rane from the Kudal seat against the two-term sitting MLA Vaibhav Naik from Shiv Sena (UBT) Nilesh exited the BJP to join the Sena to be able to contest from Kudal-Malvan as the Mahayuti had left the seat for Shiv Sena in the seat-sharing.
Notably, Naik is not only a Sena UBT candidate but is a staunch opponent of the Rane family. Naik also had defeated Narayan Rane from the Kudal assembly seat in 2014 when Rane contested with a Congress ticket.
After the division of Shiv Sena, it is the first assembly elections where the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena will compete against each other. In Maharashtra, the coastal belt, Konkan region has broadly been dominated by the Shiv Sena (undivided). It is not only an electoral contest but a fight to retain their strongholds.
Dominance Of Rane Family
BJP has renominated Narayan Rane’s younger son, Nitesh from Kankavali assembly seat. Nitesh is the two-term sitting MLA from the constituency. In 2019 assembly polls, Nitesh defeated Shiv Sena candidate Satish Sawant with a margin of 28,116 votes. While in 2014 assembly elections Nitesh fought with a Congress ticket and defeated BJP candidate Pramod Jathar. This election, Sena UBT has fielded Sandesh Parker against Nitesh Rane from Kankavali.
While, Nilesh Rane has also been former MP from Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg constituency. Narayan Rane too has been the MLA from Konkan region in the past.
Recent Controversy
Recently, a national controversy erupted from the district of Sindhurdurg, when a newly erected statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s collapsed. PM Modi himself apologized to the people of Maharashtra after the mishap and the government now is in the process of building another statue at the same spot.
However, since then the region has come into the national limelight and the for both Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi it will be a tough contest in the assembly polls, undoubtedly.
Maharashtra
Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: Manoj Jarange-Patil Won’t Play Poll Spoiler; Asks His Candidates To Withdraw Their Nominations
Pune: In a dramatic move, the top leader of the Maratha reservation agitation, Manoj Jarange-Patil, announced on Monday that he had decided to stay away from active electoral politics and asked all his candidates to withdraw their nominations for the assembly polls on November 20.
Around 17 candidates had filed nominations as Independents, calling themselves supporters of Jarange-Patil in the Marathwada region; the exact number of candidates is not known. It was widely expected that these candidates would eat into the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s voter base and would indirectly benefit the BJP-led Mahayuti. Now, with Jarange-Patil’s withdrawal, Maratha candidates fielded in Marathwada by the Sharad Pawar NCP and Eknath Shinde Shiv Sena will benefit, as a division of the Maratha community votes will mostly be avoided.
Statement Of Maratha Quota Activist Manoj Jarange-Patil
“There is no point in fighting elections as we have realised that the chances of our candidates winning are slim. I don’t want my young candidates and the Maratha community to be disappointed with losses. Our candidates not winning will be a psychological blow to our people. I have taken the decision to withdraw from the polls as I feel electoral politics is not our business, But our agitation for the rights of the Maratha community and our fight for the demand of reservation for the community will continue. I have decided to ask all my candidates to withdraw their nominations. Now I am not supporting any candidate or any party. People should vote as they wish. But they should ensure that those who are against our demand for reservation are defeated,” JarangePatil told the media at a conference held on Monday morning, hours before the deadline to withdraw nominations.
Lok Sabha Elections 2024
In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, it was evident that the Maratha reservation agitation had caused a lot of damage to the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance. All of the Marathwada region was fired up by the Maratha reservation agitation and the Mahayuti lost all but the one seat of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, where Eknath Shinde’s candidate, Sandipan Bhumre, won the polls. This time, the Mahayuti has been cautious, going mainly with Maratha candidates in most of the 46 seats in Marathwada.
The Shinde Shiv Sena is contesting 16 of these 46 seats, with almost all candidates being Marathas, while the Sharad Pawar NCP is contesting 15 seats, having fielded all Maratha faces. It is obvious that now, with the possibility of Maratha votes staying undivided, Shinde and Sharad Pawar will be the biggest gainers of Jarange-Patil’s decision to withdraw from the race. The BJP has fielded a combination of Maratha and OBC candidates in the region, while the Ajit Pawar NCP has mainly focussed on western Maharashtra in their candidate list.
In the initial days of Jarange-Patil’s agitation, he was flanked by Rajesh Tope and other leaders from Jalna who are close to Sharad Pawar; however, in recent phases of the agitation, some of Eknath Shinde’s leaders have been seen discussing strategy with Jarange-Patil, giving rise to speculation about whether he was influenced at various times, by Sharad Pawar’s deputies and Eknath Shinde.
Both Sharad Pawar and Eknath Shinde have repeatedly denied in the media that they have had anything to do with the agitation. NCP leader Ajit Pawar has been keeping away entirely, even avoiding visits to Jarange-Patil’s agitation sites. The Maratha quota stir has gained a lot of ground in the past two years, with its impact majorly seen in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Maharashtra
Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: Tension Mounts In MVA Camp As Some Rebels Refuse To Withdraw Nominations
Mumbai: November 4 was a crucial day for the Maharashtra assembly elections, marking the final deadline for candidates to withdraw nominations by 3.00 pm. Senior leaders from the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) worked to persuade rebel candidates to step down. While some complied, others remained resolute.
On Monday afternoon, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar held a press conference, warning that strict action would follow if rebels did not withdraw.
Abrupt volte-face in Kolhapur
In the Kolhapur North constituency, the Congress had initially nominated Madhurima Raje, the daughter-in-law of MP Shahu Maharaj Chhatrapati. However, on Monday, Raje withdrew her nomination, putting the MVA in a difficult position, as they no longer have an official candidate there. This withdrawal led to frustration from Satej Patil, who had been working to address internal conflicts.
In particular, Patil had been trying to persuade rebel Congress leader Rajesh Latkar to step down. Patil expressed anger over Madhurima Raje’s withdrawal, saying, “If she didn’t intend to run, why did she file the nomination at all?” Now, with Raje’s exitt MVA will support Congress rebel Rajesh Latkar, said Congress state president Nana Patole.
Grim situation in Versova
In Versova, the Shiv Sena (UBT) continues to face rebellion. Former councilor Raju Pednekar has filed his nomination as an independent candidate, despite the party officially nominating Haroon Khan. Pednekar has not withdrawn his independent nomination, leading to a three-way contest between BJP’s Bharati Lavekar, MVA’s Haroon Khan and independent candidate Raju Pednekar.
Relief in Byculla and Dharavi
In the Byculla Assembly constituency, despite the MVA officially nominating Manoj Jamsutkar from Shiv Sena (UBT), former Congress MLA Madhu Chavan filed his nomination as an independent. Similarly, in Dharavi, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s former MLA Baburao Mane filed his candidacy as an independent against Congress’ Jyoti Gaikwad. However, both rebel candidates, Chavan and Mane, eventually withdrew their nominations, resolving the internal conflicts in these constituencies. Cong dissent in Shinde’s bastion In the Pachpakhadi-Kopri constituency of Thane, rebel Congress candidates Manoj Shinde and Suresh Patil Khede have kept their nominations in place. This constituency, which is represented by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, has seen internal Congress dissent. In this area, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Kedar Dighe is the official candidate for the MVA alliance.
Setback in Pen, Panvel
In Pen and Panvel Assembly constituencies have not withdrawn their nominations. However, in the Alibaug constituency, Surendra Mhatre, the official candidate from the Thackeray faction, has stepped down after receiving a direct call from Thackeray himself instructing him to withdraw. Although similar orders were given to the candidates in Pen and Panvel, they refused to withdraw, showing that the rebellion within the Thackeray group continues in those areas.
Hemlata Patil not in fray
Congress candidate Hemlata Patil has finally withdrawn her candidacy from the Nashik Central Assembly constituency. She had planned to run as an independent due to her dissatisfaction with the MVA’s decision to nominate Sena (UBT)’s Vasant Gite for this seat. Feeling sidelined, Dr Patil initially filed her nomination to contest independently but has now decided to step back.
Ahmednagar City rebel resolute The Ahmednagar City Assembly seat has been allocated to Abhishek Kalmkar from the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction). Although this constituency has traditionally been a Shiv Sena stronghold, the decision to give it to the NCP has caused dissatisfaction among Shiv Sena supporters. In response, Shashikant Gade, district chief of Shiv Sena (UBT), rebelled by filing his nomination. Despite being urged by senior leaders to withdraw, Gade has decided to stay in the race.
Rebel shock in Indapur
In Indapur, Harshvardhan Patil, who recently joined the NCP (SP) from the BJP, was given the official nomination. This decision upset party leader Praveen Mane, prompting him to file as an independent candidate. Sharad Pawar personally met Mane to address his concerns, but was unable to change his mind. Mane has decided to proceed with his independent candidacy, leading to a three-way contest in Indapur among Mahayuti’s Datta Bharane, MVAs Harshvardhan Patil, and independent Praveen Mane.
NCP(SP)’s rebel in place in Beed
In Beed district, the Mahayuti nominated Yogesh Kshirsagar, while Sharad Pawar’s NCP once again endorsed Sandeep Kshirsagar for this constituency. Yogesh and Kshirsagar are uncle and nephew. However, Jyoti Mete, who recently joined the party, rebelled and filed her nomination as an independent candidate. In the end, Sandeep Kshirsagar ~withdrew his nomination, but Jyoti Mete’s candidacy remained in place.
Cong, NCP(SP) rebel in Nagpur
In the Nagpur East constituency, the MVA has ceded the seat to NCP(SP) and field Duneswar Pathe for this seat. However, the situation has become tense as rebel candidates from both Congress and the NCP(SP) have refused to withdraw from the contest, increasing pressure on the MVA.
Maharashtra
Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: Amid Strains With INDIA bloc, Samajwadi Party Decides To Go Solo
Mumbai: In a move that underscores deepening fissures within the INDIA bloc alliance, the Samajwadi Party (SP) has announced it will field candidates independently in Maharashtra.
Earlier discussions were aimed at securing 12 seats for SP within the alliance in Maharashtra, but the party opted to proceed with its own slate of candidates with no conclusive agreement in sight.
SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav’s “Ekla Chalo Re” Strategy
The decision reflects SP chief Akhilesh Yadav’s adoption of an “Ekla chalo re” or “Go it alone” strategy to broaden SP’s influence outside of its Uttar Pradesh stronghold, signalling a readiness to assert independence where alliances do not serve its ambitions.
In Maharashtra, SP has fielded candidates for 10 seats after Congress, leading the Maha Vikas Aghadi, did not accommodate its requests. Two of these seats were previously won by the SP and could risk vote splits. Political analyst Nomita P Kumar from the Giri Institute of Development Studies noted, “Unlike the NDA, the INDIA bloc contends with inter-party tensions rooted in overlapping voter bases and diverse political priorities.”
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