Maharashtra polls: Anil Deshmukh’s namesake renders Katol battle piquant

In Katol, Salil Deshmukh faces confusion against namesake Anil Deshmukh and rebel Yajnavalkya Jichkar, complicating the electoral landscape for voters

NAGPUR: An intriguing electoral battle is unfolding in the Katol assembly constituency, where Salil Deshmukh, the son of five-time MLA and former Maharashtra minister Anil Deshmukh, is contesting. Opposite him in the race is Anil Shankarrao Deshmukh, who has obtained an AB form from the Ajit Pawar-led NCP.

Anil Deshmukh’s namesake renders Katol poll battle piquant

The situation is likely to confuse voters, as former minister Anil Deshmukh, affectionately known as “Anilbabu”, is the sitting MLA from Katol and has significant name recognition in the area. Although he faced allegations of extortion during his tenure as home minister and spent 14 months in jail—charges that were ultimately not proven—Anilbabu secured a nomination from his party, the NCP (SP). However, at the last minute, he opted to field his son, Salil Deshmukh, successfully persuading his party to endorse this change. On the final day for nominations, Salil submitted his papers.

Now, the presence of another Anil Deshmukh could create further complications. Many loyal but uninformed voters could mistakenly support this namesake, unaware that Anilbabu is not contesting. To add to the complexity, the new entrant, Anil Shankarrao Deshmukh, will campaign under the Clock symbol, a symbol previously associated with Anilbabu, who has contested all assembly elections since his first independent run.

Salil Deshmukh will contest under the NCP (SP) banner, represented by the Tutari symbol (a man blowing a trumpet). Interestingly, the new Anil Deshmukh is not entirely unknown in the region; he serves as the up-sarpanch of Fugaon Nipani village in the Narkhed tehsil of Nagpur district, which falls within the Katol assembly constituency.

The electoral landscape is further complicated by the candidacy of Yajnavalkya Shrikant Jichkar, a Congress rebel defying the party’s high command. A senior Congress leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, suggested that this contest might mirror the recent Sangli model, seen in the Lok Sabha elections, where rebel candidate Vishal Patil triumphed over the official MVA nominee.

Historically, the Katol seat has been allocated to the NCP due to the Congress-NCP alliance.

Yajnavalkya, the son of the late Dr Shrikant Jichkar—a former Maharashtra minister and an academic prodigy with an impressive array of degrees—aims to make his electoral debut in Katol, the very place where his father began his public service. He seeks to follow in the footsteps of his father who won the Katol seat in 1980 as a Congress candidate. However, his aspirations are significantly challenged by the long-standing legacy of the Deshmukhs in the constituency.

Upendra Kothekar, the organising secretary of the BJP in the Vidarbha region, believes that the presence of both the Congress rebel and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP candidate, Anil Deshmukh, will pave the way for an easier victory for the BJP nominee, Charansinh Thakur, in the elections.