BJP in damage control mode as troubles brew in Madha, Solapur

In Madha, Dhairyasheel Mohite-Patil, nephew of former deputy chief minister Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil, had on Sunday joined NCP(SP)-led by Sharad Pawar after quitting BJP.

The BJP poll managers argue that Mohite-Patil factor will be confined essentially to Madha and Solapur seats where it has fielded Ranjitsinh Naik Nimbalkar and Ram Satpute respectively.

However, the BJP poll strategists admitted that Sharad Pawar led NCP (SP) has made a “smart move” which will have to be fixed at the earliest to dent rivals’ support base.

Pawar and Senior Congress leader Sushilkumar Shinde had recently met Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil in order to solidify support from the family.

Sushilkumar Shinde’s daughter, Praniti is contesting from Solapur seat as Congress candidate.

With three big leaders — Sharad Pawar, Sushilkumar Shinde and Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil — joining hands political permutations and combinations in the sugar belt are likely to change.

Amid hectic campaign in five Lok Sabha seats, which is going to polls in the first phase on April 19, Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis is confronted with the new challenge to fix the faultlines in Western Maharashtra.

In Solpaur, Fadnavis had persuaded Dhangar community leader Uttamrao Jankar to switch over from the Sharad Pawar camp.

Uttamrao Jankar is at present with the NCP led by Ajit Pawar. He was expecting to contest from Solapur Lok Sabha seat as Mahayuti candidate. Accordingly, he had started his ground work and extensively covered the constituency.

Instead, BJP fielded Ram Satpute, MLA from Malshiras in Solapur district.

In the 2019 state Assembly polls, Uttamrao Jankar had contested as NCP candidate against Satpute from Malshiras and lost.

To placate his anger, Fadnavis ensured he was flown in a chartered flight to Nagpur for the discussions. He was accompanied by other BJP leaders.

Sources in the BJP said, “The party has promised to field him from Malshiras Assembly which will be vacated if Ram Satpute gets elected as Solapur.”

The Dhangar community, which forms nine percent of the state’s population, is a decisive vote bank in Madha, Solapur and Baramati Lok Sabha constituencies.

Whereas in Madha, the party has to recover the grounds lost after the established political family of Vijaysinh Mohite Patil took the decision to leave BJP and join NCP (SP).

A BJP functionary revealed, “To counter the Sharad Pawar- Vijaysinh Mohite Patil unity, the party has launched a massive outreach plan to get local leaders from rival factions and families to its side.”

Five years ago, Vijaysinh Mohite Patil who wields political clout in Solapur district, had joined BJP.

His son Ranjitsinh Mohite Patil is with BJP as member of state legislative council.

Mohite-Patil was expecting a ticket for his nephew Dhairyasheel Mohite Patil from Madha.

However, BJP fielded its sitting MP Ranjeet Naik Nimbalkar which upset Mohite-Patil.

Initially, BJP had made attempts to bridge the differences between Mohite-Patil and Naik Nimbalkar in vain.

The battle between these two established political families to control politics in Solapur district is no secret.

Insiders in the BJP said, “We will have to mend fissures which are evident in Solapur and Madha with the help of local leaders. Apart from that, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rallies will also help in denting political mileage Congress-NCP (SP) combine in these two seats.”

Both Madha and Solapur will go to polls in the third phase on May 7.

The western Maharashtra has eleven Lok Sabha seats and 72 assembly seats.

In last two elections, BJP along with then alliance partner Shiv Sena, has succeeded make dents in the Congress-NCP bastion.