Sharad Pawar with Ajit Pawar.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Mumbai: A host of Gen-Next leaders and relatives of several heavyweight politicians are in the race for the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly defying the call to end nepotism in politics.
Sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, cousins and members of extended family - all figure in the list of the six big parties involving two coalitions.
Whether it is the ruling Maha Yuti (NDA) comprising BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP or the Maha Vikas Aghadi (I.N.D.I.A.) comprising Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-headed Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) - all have fielded candidates from families.
In its first list of candidates, the Maha Yuti has announced 182 candidates while the MVA has announced 158 candidates.
If one combines both, more than 50 candidates are from political families.
One of the seat that stands out is Baramati - where the contest involves blood relatives - NCP President Ajit Pawar, the seven-time MLA and state’s Deputy Chief Minister facing Yugendra Pawar, the son of his brother Shriniwas Pawar, who has been fielded by Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP).
BJP
The BJP, which has often targetted Congress for dynastic politics and nepotism, itself has fielded many such candidates.
These include former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan’s daughter Shreejaya Chavan from the family seat of Bhokar in Nanded district. Her grandfather Shankarrao Chavan too was a former Chief Minister and ex Union Home Minister.
BJP Mumbai President Ashish Shelar has been renominated from Vandre West in Mumbai while his brother Vinod Shelar is a new face from Malad West.
Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg MP and former Chief Minister Narayan Rane’s son has been renominated from Kankavli.
Late Congress Chief Minister Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar’s grandson Sambhaji Patil Nilangekar has been given ticket from Nilanga.
The BJP has replaced its sitting MLA Babanrao Pachpute from the Shrigonda in Ahilyanagari and his Pratibha Pachpute, would be contesting the polls.
In Kalyan East, where MLA Ganpat Gaikwad was involved in a firing incident in police station and is currently in jail has been replaced by his wife Sulabha Gaikwad.
In the Chinchwad seat of Pune, BJP replaced sitting MLA Ashwini Jagtap, the wife of late party leader Laxman Jagtap, but gave ticket to his brother Shankar Jagtap.
Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde)
In Shinde-headed Shiv Sena, relatives of key leaders have found place in the list. Shinde’s son is an MP from Kalyan and heads the Shiv Sena Parliamentary Party.
State Industries Minister Uday Samant’s brother Kiran Samant would contest from the Rajapur seat in Ratnagiri district.
The family members of newly-elected Shiv Sena MPs Sandipan Bhumare and Ravindra Waikar, will see their relatives contesting. Bhumare’s son will Vilas Bhumare will contest from the Paithan in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, while Waikar’s wife Manisha
Waiker would be fielded from Jogeshwari in Mumbai.
Shinde has fielded Nilesh Rane - the son of Narayan Rane - from Kudal.
NCP (Ajit Pawar)
NCP seems to be facing rebellion in Nashik as Chhagan Bhujbal’s nephew and former MP Sameer Bhujbal has decided to contest as an Independent from Nandgaon. Chhagan Bhujbal was fielded from Yeola days after his son Pankaj Bhujbal, a two-time MLA was sent to the Maharashtra Legislative Council from the Governor’s quota.
Ajit Pawar aide Dhananjay Munde, the nephew of late BJP stalwart Gopinath Munde would contest the family seat of Worli - as her sister Pankaja Munde has been sent to Maharashtra Legislative Council.
From Navapur, the NCP has fielded Bharat Gavit, who is son of late Congressman Manikrao Gavit, who is a former nine-time MP from Nandurbar and a former union minister.
Congress
The Congress list has many from the families.
Mumbai Congress President Prof Varsha Gaikwad, who was elected as an MP from Mumbai North Central, ensured that her sister Dr Jyoti Gaikwad gets the Dharavi seat. Varsha Gaikwad has represented the seat five times while her late father Eknath Gaikwad, also a former Mumbai Congress chief, has repented thrice.
Late Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh’s two sons have been retained - Amit Deshmukh from Latur City and Dhiraj Deshmukh from Latur Rural.
Sunil Deshmukh, who did a ghar-wapsi from BJP, has been fielded from Amravati. A former MLA and ex-minister, Sunil Deshmukh is son of legendary leader Panjabrao Deshmukh.
NCP (Sharad Pawar)
Former Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister R R Patil’s son Rohit Patil has been given ticket from Tasgaon-Kavathe Mahankal, which is now represented by Suman Patil, his mother.
Another Pawar family member would contest from Karjat-Jamkhed. Rohit Pawar, the grand-nephew of Sharad Pawar, would seek re-election from this Ahilyanagari seat.
The NCP (SP) has fielded Bhagyashree Atram - and she would take on her father and state Food and Drug Administration Minister Dharmarao Baba Atram, who is from Ajit Pawar’s party. They hail from a tribal royal family.
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray)
Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray’s son Aaditya Thackeray would be contesting from Worli, which he is currently representing.
Aditya’s cousin Varun Sardesai will contest from Vandre East in Mumbai, which is currently represented by Zeeshan Siddique, who was expelled by Congress for cross-voting. He may join the NCP. His father Baba Siddique, a former MLA and ex-minister was shot dead recently.
Thackeray’s close aide Sanjay Raut’s brother Sunil Raut has been given a ticket again from Vikhroli in Mumbai.
MNS
Raj Thackeray’s son Amit Thackeray is the new person in the bloc. He has been fielded from Mahim where he may face tough challenges from the two warring Shiv Sena factions.
“The argument that "politics is in their blood" or "they want to serve people" does not hold good in each and every case – as the question remains: who would infuse the blood of politics in the common people. Many of the second or third generation “leaders” – which is now referred to as “GenNext” enter into the field because what critics say politics is “lucrative business”,” a political observer said
These political families control Zilla Parishads, APMCs, District Cooperative Banks, Urban Cooperative Banks, credit societies, municipal councils and so on. By way of this, they control the economic resources of the region – and dynasty politics continues.
Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.
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