Pharande's popularity gives BJP upperhand

In Ahmednagar, a total of seven candidates are in fray. However, the main fight is between BJP's N S Pharande and NCP's Tukaram Gadakh, who shifted his loyalties from BJP to NCP.

BJP holds an upper hand over its main rival NCP in the agriculturally rich Ahmednagar Lok Sabha constituency, in Marathwada region of Maharashtra.

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A total of seven candidates are in fray for the seat, once a bastion of Congress. However, the main fight is between BJP's N S Pharande and NCP candidate Tukaram Gadakh, who shifted his loyalties from BJP to NCP few years ago.

With the Congress and NCP coming together to form an alliance, BJP refused ticket to its sitting MP and former Union Minister Dilip Gandhi and instead fielded Pharande, who is also the Maharashtra Legislative Council chairman.

The Congress that had won the seat 11 times since 1952, lost the seat in 1998 and failed to regain it thereafter.

Banking on the inroads made by its alliance partner, BJP's Dilip Gandhi had won the seat in 1999. The split in the Congress also helped Gandhi in garnering 38.05 per cent votes, while the NCP and Congress candidates bagged 34.71 and 25.91 per cent votes respectively.