Young brigade fighting it out.
Ahmednagar Lok Sabha constituency has been in discussion over multiple issues. First, despite Congress looking to fight from here, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar put his foot down and said that the party wants to contest from there. Finally, he got his wish but that resulted in a chain reaction. Sujay Vikhe Patil, son of leader of opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil joined BJP and was promptly given ticket from Ahmednagar.
The young doctor will be fighting against NCP MLA Sangram Jagtap, who also comes from a political family. Sangram's father is a MLC and father in law is MLA, albeit from BJP. Despite much speculation, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil didn't join BJP though multiple reports suggest that he has provided clandestine support to his son.
Sujay speaking to PTI said," I have been speaking against the BJP-led government during my public engagements in three years. But the transition was smooth thanks to the NCP, whose leadership indulged in politics of revenge and gave a personal angle to its denial of ticket to me".
Regarding the involvement of his father in the campaign, he said to PTI, " I am telling voters to trust me as a person. My father is helping me as we are standing together as a family.My father is not leaving the Congress. I am not a politician by heart. I am a doctor first".
Regarding his contribution towards Congress, Sujoy said," In Ahmednagar, the Congress was the single largest party in Zilla Parishad. I worked for it". Sensing anti-incumbency, BJP dropped two-time MP dILIP Gandhi from Ahmednagar. In the past, Congress won the seat in 2004, BJP in 1999 and Sujoy's grandfather Balasaheb Vikhe Patil won contesting for Shiv Sena in 1998. Before that from 1952 to 1996, it was one-way traffic with Congress winning everytime.
Assembly segments under Ahmednagar are: Shevgaon,Rahuri,Parner, Ahmednagar City,Shrigonda, Karjat Jamkhed. Out of these, 3 are with BJP, 2 with NCP and 1 with Sena.Ahmednagar goes to polls on April 23.
The 48 seats of Maharashtra are going to polls in four phases. The main parties are BJP, Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP. After contesting separately in last assembly elections, BJP and Sena are contesting together and so in Congress and NCP. Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) of Prakash Ambedkar has also put up candidates in all seats. Raj Thackeray's MNS is not contesting this election, though he has openly canvassed for Congress- NCP alliance.
A total of 14 Lok Sabha seats will go to polls on April 23 during the third phase.
They include Jalgaon, Raver, Jalna, Aurangabad, Raigad, Pune, Baramati, Ahmednagar, Madha, Sangli, Satara, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, Kolhapur and Hatkanangle.
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 "Sujay Vikhe Patil")
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