The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is facing a tricky situation in the Madha constituency ahead of Lok Sabha polls. The party’s decision to deny a ticket to the influential Mohite-Patil family has sparked discontent, casting a shadow over the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
The Madha constituency in Solapur district has traditionally been a stronghold for the Mohite Patil family. The BJP, however, last week decided to field sitting MP Ranjitsinh Naik Nimbalkar for the Madha constituency, which has not been well-received by the Mohite Patils and their supporters.
There are now speculations that Sharad Pawar-led NCP is trying to woo Vijaysinh Mohite Patil and field him or a member of his family from Madha.
Nimbalkar on his part has sounded confident of the situation getting resolved soon.
“There can be many aspirants for the ticket, but the party has to choose one and I am very sure that BJP’s central and state leaders will resolve the issue and the storm will soon blow over,” said Nimbalkar.
After the announcement of the candidature from the Madha, both Vijaysinh Mohite Patil and his nephew Dhairyasheel Mohite Patil, along with other aggrieved leaders, have openly voiced their dissatisfaction with the party’s decision.
{{/usCountry}}After the announcement of the candidature from the Madha, both Vijaysinh Mohite Patil and his nephew Dhairyasheel Mohite Patil, along with other aggrieved leaders, have openly voiced their dissatisfaction with the party’s decision.
{{/usCountry}}In 2008 based on the delimitation of the constituencies, the Madha constituency was created comprising Madha, Karmala, Malshiras, Phaltan, Man, and Sangola assembly segments. In the 2009 Lok Sabha election Sharad Pawar was elected as the first MP from Madha constituencies. Before 2008, Madha was part of Pandharpur Lok Sabha constituency and since then Madha, Pandharpur, and Malshiras have been a stronghold for the Mohite Patil family.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, former Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Vijaysinh Mohite Patil was elected from the Madha constituency despite the Modi wave across the country. In 2019, considering new political arrangements across the state, Ranjitsinh Mohite Patil, son of Vijaysinh Mohite Patil joined the BJP.
Despite opposition, the BJP then offered a Lok Sabha ticket to Ranjitsinh Naik Nimbalkar and with the help of Mohite Patils and other local leaders, Nimbalkar won the election. However, in the past five years, the situation has changed on the ground. This time Vijaysinh Mohite Patil had demanded a ticket for Dhairyasheel Mohite Patil.
When the BJP declared a ticket again for Nimbalkar then political leaders from Madha including Mohite Patil, Ram Raje Naik Nimbalkar of Ajit Pawar led NCP, PWD leader Jayant Patil, and others including Deepak Aba Salunkhe, Narayan Patil, Jaywant Jagtap openly expressed their resentment against Nimbalkar.
This discontent culminated in a high-profile dinner meeting held by the Mohite Patils with local leaders late on Sunday, intensifying speculations regarding their potential defection to the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). This move signifies the growing tensions within the party and underscores the challenges faced by the BJP in retaining unity and loyalty among its cadre.
BJP deputed senior leader and rural development minister Girish Mahajan to damage control on Sunday. Mahajan during his visit to Akluj held a meeting with Mohite Patils and their followers.
Mahajan said, “It’s a fact that Vijaysinh Mohite Patil is unhappy over the denial of the ticket. I am confident that my senior party leaders will talk to him and resolve the issue.”
On the other hand, Jayant Patil, leader of the Peasants and Workers Party (PWD) approached Sharad Pawar and demanded a ticket from the Madha constituency for party leader Aniket Deshmukh.
Patil said he had discussions with some prominent leaders in Madha, and afterwards, our demand was placed before the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance. Dr Aniket is the grandson of former leader Ganpatrao Deshmukh. At least 1.50 lakh voters in the Madha constituency belong to our party hence we can easily win from Madha.”
Elaborating on the situation, political analyst, Abhay Deshpande said, this is the problem of plenty and BJP has to face this not only in Madha but also in other seats.
“BJP has given entry to so many leaders in the past and now it is difficult for the party to keep all of them happy. The latest problem is due to the ‘Problem of Plenty’ and new political arrangements made by the BJP.”
Deshpande further said that original BJP party workers may be ready for such kind of sacrifices but imported leaders are not ready for any sacrifice hence BJP facing such issues.
When asked if there are chances for the BJP to change the candidate, Deshpande said, that for BJP every seat is important and therefore they will take the decision to change the candidature “considering all factors.”
The Mohite Patil family’s influence in Solapur, particularly in the Akluj tehsil cannot be understated. Their discontentment poses a significant threat to BJP’s electoral prospects in the region, said a leader from BJP requesting anonymity.
“If the Mohite Patils decide to defect to the NCP, it could potentially tilt the political landscape in favour of the opposition party,” said the leader.
As the Lok Sabha polls draw nearer, the BJP finds itself grappling with a complex dilemma - whether to placate the disgruntled Mohite Patils or risk losing their support and facing electoral repercussions in one of its key bastions. The coming days are poised to witness intense political manoeuvring as the BJP endeavours to navigate through this challenging situation and preserve its electoral stronghold in Solapur.