With barely 48 hours left for the results of the fiercely contested Assembly polls, serious cracks seem to be appearing within the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance in Solapur in western Maharashtra. A bitter feud has erupted between the Congress and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT), raising questions about the coalition’s unity throughout the election and its ability to challenge the BJP’s formidable machinery.
The Solapur South assembly seat has become a theatre of major discord within the MVA, strongly reminiscent of the bickering between the Congress and the Sena (UBT) over the Sangli Lok Sabha seat during the parliamentary election in May this year.
On polling day on November 20, Congress veteran Sushilkumar Shinde and his daughter, Solapur MP Praniti Shinde, threw their weight behind Dharmaraj Kadadi, an independent candidate, instead of supporting Amar Patil, the Sena (UBT)’s nominee who was the official MVA candidate.
Shinde justified his move citing Kadadi’s strong local connect and the Congress’ historical dominance in the constituency, while taking a swipe at Shiv Sena (UBT)’s “unfounded claim” over the seat – a replay of the Sangli fiasco during the Lok Sabha.
Predictably, this drew sharp reactions from the Shiv Sena (UBT) with the Thackeray camp accusing Praniti Shinde of ‘betrayal,’ with party deputy leader Sharad Koli leading a vitriolic attack, calling for her expulsion from the MVA alliance. Koli went as far as alleging that Shinde had received BJP backing for her decision.
The Sena (UBT) is seething with rage at the Shindes’ behaviour given that Uddhav Thackeray had vigorously campaigned for Praniti during the Lok Sabha.
The fallout is emblematic of the MVA’s coordination problems and is particularly glaring given that a section of exit polls seem to favour the ruling Mahayuti on counting day of November 23.
Be that as may, exit polls have been frequently – and spectacularly – wrong in recent times, as evinced in the recent Haryana election result.
Meanwhile, the big question in another corner of western Maharashtra - Pimpri-Chinchwad, a former NCP stronghold is whether Deputy CM Ajit Pawar - is whether the Mahayuti have succeeded in controlling schisms within their fold.
Known for its history of electing strong independents, this industrial belt in Pune district has always been a political wildcard. However, for the first time in 15 years, this election saw the Bhosari and Chinchwad Assembly constituencies lack formidable independent contenders - a development that could lead to unpredictable outcomes.
In Chinchwad, NCP (Ajit Pawar) leader Nana Kate, initially set to run as an independent, withdrew under party pressure. Similarly, in Bhosari, former corporator Ravi Landge, now with Shiv Sena (UBT), also stepped back. However, Bhausaheb Bhoir, a Mahayuti rebel, contested as an independent.
In the Chinchwad seat, the contest is between the BJP’s Shankar Jagtap (brother of deceased Chinchwad strongman Laxman Jagtap) and Rahul Kalate of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP).
Jagtap was contesting the assembly election for the first time while Kalate had twice contested the election unsuccessfully. Will the independent Bhoir queer the Mahayuti’s pitch?
In Bhosari, BJP MLA Mahesh Landge faced a tough battle against his rival and relative, Ajit Gavhane of the NCP (SP), who appeared to make late gains in Landge’s stronghold.
As the votes are counted on November 23, the results in this belt will depend on how well the Mahayuti has managed the byzantine intrigue in Pimpri-Chinchwad.
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