Keeping it in the family

For the first time in Maharashtra's electoral history, two father-son pairs have got elected from neighbouring constituencies, reports HT Correspondent.

For the first time in Maharashtra's electoral history, two father-son pairs have got elected from neighbouring constituencies.

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Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal won from Yeola in Nashik defeating the Shiv Sena’s Manikrao Shinde by a huge margin of 50,180 votes. His son Pankaj won from neighbouring Nandgaon against the Sena’s Sanjay Pawar who polled 21,396 votes less. And the local MP happens to be Bhujbal’s nephew, Sameer.

Closer home, in Navi Mumbai, Environment Minister Ganesh Naik’s dynasty rule prevailed. Naik himself won from Belapur constituency defeating the BJP's Suresh Haware by 12,873 votes. In neighbouring Airoli, his younger son Sandeep defeated Sena candidate Vijay Chougule by a margin of 11,957 votes. The election here was marred by violence. Navi Mumbai has only two assembly constituencies — both won by the Naiks.

Both the constituencies fall under Thane parliamentary constituency, which is represented by Naik’s elder son Sanjiv.

Though the Congress-NCP came under criticism for promoting dynastic rule, the NCP gave in to the demand of their bigwigs to let their sons contest too. And both of them manages to win the elections.

Meanwhile, what happened in Nilagna in Latur district was exactly the opposite.