Old friends turn foes in Ambegaon as seven-time MLA Dilip Walse Patil faces stiff challenge from Devdutta Nikam

Nikam is running on behalf of the NCP (Sharad Pawar), while Walse Patil, the state’s cooperation minister, is competing for the NCP (Ajit Pawar). Walse Patil, one of Sharad Pawar’s most trusted lieutenants, has raised eyebrows and shocked many with his decision to join Ajit Pawar.

Aside from Walse Patil’s alleged abandonment of Pawar senior, water seems to be a significant issue in some areas of the district. Many farmers support Nikam, acknowledging his previous role as the Bhimashankar Cooperative Sugar Mill chairman and the Manchar Market Committee. His past contributions have established a positive reputation among the farming community, giving him an advantage over the current MLA.

Ashok Pekari, the sarpanch of Phalode village in Ambegaon, highlighted the unequal treatment of approximately 60 villages in the taluka. This includes nearly 35 villages in the Bhimashankar area and around 30 in the Ahupe region, particularly concerning water distribution. Pekari pointed out that these villages were promised reserved water following the construction of the Dimbhe Dam project in the 1980s, but politicians have neglected to uphold this commitment.

“The most challenging period for us is from April to June when we depend on tankers for drinking water. For the rest of the year, we rely on other sources. However, the real struggle lies in accessing water for irrigation,” he said.

He further claimed that over the years, Rs 9,000 crore allocated by the government for Ambegaon’s villages and irrigation schemes had been misdirected or returned unused. “Despite the passage of time, the fight for irrigation water continues. In 2017, we officially organised under the ‘Kalamdai Adivasi Sinchan Jal Sangathan’ to fight for our water rights,” Pekari explained.

Shankar Mohdule, the union secretary, emphasised that the villages behind the Dimbhe Dam are facing severe water scarcity. “Many villages are still waiting for water pipeline connections for irrigation. The dam originates in our area and flows through to Karmala taluka in Solapur district. Water is distributed to every area along the route except ours,” he stated.

Farmers, frustrated with the lack of political action, are considering voting for Nikam in hopes that his leadership will address their long-standing concerns. Raju Ghode, the sarpanch of Borghar gram panchayat, expressed his frustration by stating, “Those who live near the origin of the dam have the first right to the water, as it is our rainfall that fills the reservoir. Additionally, displaced families—many of whom reside here—also deserve priority access to the water.” He stated that, despite the presence of approximately 60 villages, only a few have received water taps under the Centre’s ‘Har Ghar Jal’ scheme.

“The irrigation department had initially reserved approximately 9 per cent of the dam’s water for the villages behind it. However, none of the political leaders, particularly those in power for decades, made any serious effort to fulfil this promise. Our hope now rests with the new candidate,” Ghode said.

When contacted, both Walse Patil and Nikam declined to respond to these public grievances. However, Patil’s long-standing dominance in the constituency is well-established. He first defeated Kisanrao Bankhele in 1990 to become an MLA and has maintained his seat ever since. In the last election in 2019, Patil secured victory with 1,26,120 votes out of a total of 1,90,032.