Kolhapur Lok Sabha constituency: Candidates for 2019 LS poll, past results, all updates

The first mega Sena-BJP rally in run-up to Lok Sabha election attended by Uddhav Thackeray and Devendra Fadnavis was held in Kolhapur. It is a seat which neither BJP or Sena has never won.  But this time NDA believes that it has a good chance of upsetting NCP in its sugarbelt stronghold.

The candidates are same as 2014, NCP's sugar baron Dhananjay Mahadik and Sena's Sanjay Mandlik. In 2014, Mahadik won by 33,000 votes. Interestingly, Sanjay's father Sadashivrao is a four time MP from Kolhapur including thrice on Congress ticket. In 2009, he contested as Independent and still won. In 2004, Sabashivrao had defeated Dhananjay who was contesting for Shiv Sena at that time. So as it is evident, ideology is not exactly cast in stones in the high-stake games in Kolhapur.

BJP's optimism stems from the fact that Dhannjay is facing rebellion from influential Congress leader Satej Patil, who is a MLC. Also, NCP's iron fist over the political narrative in Kolhapur has gradually weakened with Sena now in power in majority of the assembly segments here.

In campaign trail, Fadnavis took jibe at Sharad Pawar's NCP saying, " "We may understand little about sugar industry, but we have taken more decisions for this industry than anyone else". His comments were in wave of Kolhapur witnessing unrest over sugar factories failing to pay arrears to cultivators. Overall, Congress won the seat 11 times and NCP thrice. Udaysingh Gaekwad won the seat five times in a row. The assembly segments under Kohlapur are: Chandgad,Radhanagari, Kagal,Kolhapur South, Karvir and Kolhapur North.

Kolhapur 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.