Congress’s fresh faces to clash with BJP’s veterans in Vidarbha

Battlelines drawn between BJP and Congress in Vidarbha for Lok Sabha elections. BJP has prominent leaders, Congress with fresh faces

MUMBAI: Battlelines have been drawn between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress in the eastern part of Vidarbha, as the district goes to polls in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 19. While BJP has picked prominent leaders such as union transport minister Nitin Gadkari and state forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar in two of the five seats in the region, Congress is going with fresh faces. (See box.)

The Congress party's flag is seen in this picture. (HT File)

The deadline for filing nominations ends today.

In 2019, of the 10 seats in Vidarbha, eight were bagged by the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance, one by Congress and another by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)-backed independent candidate Navneet Rana, who subsequently supported BJP.

Despite the close deadline for filing nominations, BJP is yet to announce its candidate for Ramtek, although the name doing the rounds is of Raju Parve, who moved to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena two days ago from Congress. His candidature is being supported by BJP.

The tussle for Nagpur will be key, with Gadkari seeking a third term. Local leaders across parties have said winning this constituency for any party against Gadkari is a Herculean task.

The Congress however is looking to gain from the dominance of other backward classes in the region, as the only seat the party won in the last elections was Chandrapur by Suresh Dhanorkar against BJP’s Hansaraj Ahir. After Dhanorkar’s demise his wife Pratibha has stepped up; she will face Mungatiwar.

Although Mungantiwar is a political heavyweight, Dhanorkar has advantage of being an OBC candidate, apart from gaining sympathy from the electorate due to the untimely demise of her husband, said a Congress leader, underscoring “infighting in the BJP at the local level as well”.

Ramtek has been a Congress stronghold for decades, and as the party’s district council president Rashmi Barve had done well, while Parve was elected as MLA on a Congress ticket. The constituency is considered local leader Sunil Kedar’s stronghold which could be an advantage for Barve. The saffron combine is banking on prime minister Modi’s image and the push by local BJP leaders such as Gadkari, the party’s state chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.

In Gadchiroli, Congress fielding new entrant Namdeo Kirsan has peeved former MLA Namdev Usendi, who had contested and lost the past two Lok Sabha elections. He joined the BJP on Tuesday. “Though Gadchiroli is a Congress borough, its former MLA Namdev Usendi has joined us as he was denied the candidature. This may affect the prospect of the party but we are cautious since Nete’s opponent is a fresh face,” said a BJP leader requesting anonymity.

“BJP’s performance in Bhandara-Gondia has been similar over the last two elections with the party garnering over 50% votes. Besides this, the party’s candidates are popular among voters, which will give the Congress candidate a tough run,” admitted a Congress leader.

Sachin Rajurkar, general secretary, Rashtriya OBC Mahasangh, however sounded a cautionary note for BJP saying, “Other backward classes are unhappy with BJP for not keeping its promises issued in the last two terms. It would be difficult for Mungantiwar as he has demanded his caste Komati be included in OBC from the open category.”

Fadnavis on the other hand remarked, “The Congress was wrecked in the region from where Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra passed. Electing Mungantiwar from Chandrapur is like electing Modiji as prime minister.” Fadnavis made the comment after Mungantiwar filed his nomination.

Meanwhile, after Vikas Thakre filed his nomination, Congress’s state unit chief Nana Patole said he will defeat BJP’s Nitin Gadkari at least by two and half lakh votes. “This election is to save the country as the BJP has ruined it in the last 10 years. There is discontent among the people – Vidarbha will be the beginning of change,” he said.