Lok Sabha elections: Baramati, the lone seat witnessing woman vs woman battle in Maharashtra
BJP fields highest number of women– 6; the ruling Mahayuti alliance has fielded 10 women candidates; Maha Vikas Aghadi, which includes Congress, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) and Shiv Sena (UBT), has fielded 7 women.
Supriya Sule is the lone candidate who is contesting her fourth successive election from Baramati, while her rival Sunetra Pawar is the only one in the fray who is neither a sitting MLA, MLC or an MP. (PTI)
Of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, Baramati constituency in Pune district is the only one witnessing a direct fight between two women candidates – Surpiya Sule, daughter of NCP veteran Sharad Pawar, and her cousin Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar. Baramati will go to polls in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections scheduled on May 7. In 16 seats, women candidates fielded by different political parties are facing direct contests with men.
The ruling Mahayuti alliance, which mainly comprises BJP, Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), has fielded 10 women candidates this Lok Sabha election. On the other hand, the Maha Vikas Aghadi which includes Congress, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) and Shiv Sena (UBT) has fielded seven women.
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The highest number of six women candidates has been fielded by the BJP which is contesting 28 seats in all. Of the six, four are sitting MPs – Dr Heena Gavit, actress-turned-politician Navneet Rana, union minister Bharati Pawar and Raksha Khadse, daughter-in-law of NCP leader Eknath Khadse. Of the remaining two, one is Pankaja Munde, former Beed MLA, and another is Smita Wagha, a member of Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC).
Heena Gavit who had created quite a buzz in the country when she had defeated nine-time MP Manikrao Gavit will be contesting for the third time from the tribal district of Nandurbar. She is facing a challenge from Gowal Padvi, son of Congress leader K C Padvi.
Navneet Rana, who had contested as an Independent with the support of undivided NCP and Congress in 2019 elections and won, is contesting for the second time from Amravati. She is taking on Balwant Wankhede of the Congress in a direct contest though the Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi (VBA) has fielded Prajakta Pillewan. Prahar Janshakti Party has fielded Dinesh Bub.
Bharati Pawar, who was the Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, is contesting for the second time from Dindori constituency. She will lock horns with Bhaskar Bhagare of the NCP (S-P)
Raksha Khadse who is contesting for the third time from Raver would face Shriram Patil of NCP (S-P)
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The Congress which is contesting 17 seats has fielded four women candidates – Varsha Gaikwad, a sitting MLA from Mumbai North Central, Praniti Shinde, another sitting MLA from Solapur, Shobha Bachchav from Dhule, and Pratibha Dhanorkar from Chandrapur.
Varsha Gaikwad is taking on BJP’s Ujwal Nikam, the high profile special public prosecutor, while Praniti Shinde will lock horns with BJP candidate Ram Satpute, the sitting Malshiras MLA.
Shobha Bachchav will fight against sitting MP Dr Subash Bhamare who is seeking his third term and Pratibha Dhonarkar will take on BJP candidate Sudhir Mungantiwar who is a Minister in the State Cabinet.
The Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has fielded two women candidates which includes Yamini Jadhav, sitting MLA from Mumbai South Lok Sabha seat, and Rajashri Patil from Yavatmal-Washim. Jadhav. She faces a challenge from sitting MP Arvind Sawant of the Shiv Sena (UBT). Rajashri Patil is contesting against Sanjay Deshmukh of the Shiv Sena (UBT).
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The Shiv Sena (UBT) has fielded Vaishali Darekar from Kalyan against Shrikant Shinde, son of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, of the Shiv Sena. In Palghar, the Sena (UBT) has fielded Bharti Kamdi. The BJP and Shiv Sena are yet to decide on a candidate in the constituency.
Asked about only two women candidates from their party, Shiv Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande said,”It depends upon the names recommended by local units of the party. We have fielded those who names have been recommended.”
The NCP led by Ajit Pawar has fielded Sunetra Pawar from Baramati who is taking on Supriya Sule of NCP (S-P). In Dharashiv (Osmanabad), the NCP has fielded Archana Patil who is taking on Omraje Nimbalkar of the Sena (UBT).
The Sharad Pawar’s party has fielded just one candidate and that too the daughter of party chief Sharad Pawar. NCP (S-P) spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said, ”It is true that we have fielded one woman candidate. That is because we had received only one request which was approved by the party high command. Had we received more requests, we would have nominated more candidates.”
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Incidentally, Supriya Sule is the lone candidate who is contesting her fourth successive election from Baramati, while her rival Sunetra Pawar is the only one in the fray who is neither a sitting MLA, MLC or an MP. Sunetra has neither held any party post.
Bhavana Gawli who had won five times till 2019, has not been fielded by the Shiv Sena this time.
In Maharashtra Lok Sabha elections are being held in five phases, of which the first two phases of voting to 13 seats were conducted on April 19 and 26. The next stages of elections are scheduled on May 7, 13 and 20.
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