Supporters of the Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil during a protest demanding Maratha reservation in Navi Mumbai.
Credit: PTI Photo
Mumbai: The vast and prosperous Western Maharashtra, a region known for sugar-belt politics, could witness an eyeball-to-eyeball conflict in each of the 10 Lok Sabha seats spread over five districts, and it could be anyone’s game.
While the BJP had made inroads in the region eroding the Congress base in 2014 and 2019 largely because of the Narendra Modi wave, it would in 2024 witness a Pawar-family fight and control for supremacy in the fertile region, which is known for its cooperative sector and organised agriculture network.
The Marathas-vs-OBCs reservation issue would be a key factor in Western Maharashtra which is set to go to polls in Phase-3 and Phase-4 on May 7 and 13, respectively.
The 10 seats are Pune, Maval, Shirur, Baramati, Satara, Kolhapur, Sangli, Hatkanangle, Madha and Solapur (SC).
In 2009, Democratic Front partners— Congress and Sharad Pawar-led NCP won three seats each, Shiv Sena (2), Independent (1) and Swabhimani Shetkari Sangathana (1).
In 2014, the tally was NCP (4), BJP (3), Shiv Sena (2), Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (1). In 2019, the BJP increased its tally to 4 while NCP and Shiv Sena got three seats each.
The Congress could not win a single seat in the two previous Lok Sabha polls while this time around, the grand old party has multiplied efforts.
With the NCP divided with deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar controlling the main party, and his uncle Sharad Pawar and her daughter Supriya Sule now heading NCP (SCP) and the Shiv Sena split involving Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde— political equations in the region have changed.
The battle between Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi and BJP-led Maha Yuti is evenly poised.
The focal point of Western Maharashtra would be Baramati, the bastion of the Pawar family where three-time sitting MP Supriya Sule takes on Sunetra Pawar, the wife of Ajit Pawar. The candidates, however, are yet to be officially declared, but the campaign is proceeding on those lines. This is for the first time in five decades that Baramati is witnessing a Pawar vs Pawar electoral battle.
Two royals are also involved in the battle in Kolhapur and Satara.
In the sugar bowl of Kolhapur, the Congress-MVA has fielded Shri Shahu II Shahaji Chhatrapati, the 12th descendent of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and grandson of Rajarshi Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj of Kolhapur, the legendary democrat and social reformer.
The Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi had supported Shahu II Maharaj as their grandfathers Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj spearheaded social reforms. Shahu II Maharaj faces Sanjay Mandlik, the sitting Shiv Sena MP.
In Satara, Chhatrapati Udayanraje Bhosale, the 13th descendent of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, now a BJP Rajya Sabha member, is set to get a ticket. He had won the seat thrice earlier for NCP.
Former Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s daughter Praniti Shinde is contesting the Solapur seat and is pitted against BJP’s Ram Satpute, the MLA from Malshiras.
The Shirur seat would be a NCP vs NCP (SCP) fight involving Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil and Dr Amol Kolhe.
In the cultural capital of Pune, the face-off is between Muralidhar Mohol of BJP and Congress MLA from Kasba Peth, Ravindra Dhangekar.
There are a lot of disputes in both the alliances over seat-sharing and there could be surprises in the next couple of weeks.