Both Chavan and Bhosale, are popularly known as Baba.
Chavan, a technocrat-politician, is a former Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office when Dr Manmohan Singh headed the Congress-led UPA government. Later, he was the Maharashtra Chief Minister from 2010-14.
Chavan has been the Karad MP for three terms - 1991, 1996 and 1998. His father, late Dajisaheb Chavan was a Karad MP for four terms, as was his late mother Premalakaki Chavan, who had also served as Maharashtra Congress chief.
On the other hand, Dr Bhosale is young and is associated with lots of social work in the sugar belt of Western Maharashtra.
After delimitation, the Karad seat ceased to exist and is now part of the Satara seat, which is represented by BJP’s Shrimant Chhatrapati Udayan Raje Bhosale, the descendent of legendary Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. “I have worked in Karad as an MP and MLA…I am sure people will support me,” Chavan says in his meetings.
Dr Bhosale, who has unsuccessfully contested the seat, however, is confident. “We have the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.
He too hails from a family, which is active in politics and cooperative sector. His grandfather Jayantrao Bhosale was former Chairman of Krishna Sugar Cooperative Factor and father Dr Suresh Bhosale currently heads it.