Few straight contests in State

Satara in sugar-rich Western Maharashtra, will witness a straight contest between senior Congress leader and former Cooperation Minister Abhaysinh Raje Bhosale and Shiv Sena nominee Hindurao Naik Nimbalkar, a member of the dissolved Lok Sabha. In Ahmadnagar, Sena has fielded sugar baron Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil against Congress candidate Maruti Shelke, a sitting member of the dissolved Lok Sabha, while in Solapur, formerMPCC president Sushilkumar Shinde is locked in a straight battle against BJP’s Lingraj Valyal.

Even in the metropolis, while South Mumbai, North Central, North and North East will witness a straight contest, the remaining two constituencies –South Central and North West will witness a triangular contest due to the presence of Janata Dal nominees. In South Mumbai, high-profile Congress nominee Murli Deora is locked in a straight battle against his traditional rival and BJP-Sena candidate Jayawantiben Mehta, while North-Central RPI candidate Ramdas Athavale, who has been supported by Samjawadi Party and Congress, will take on Sena nominee and member of the dissolved Lok Sabha Narayan Athavale.

Similarly in North East, BJP general secretary Pramod Mahajan is contesting against Congress’ Gurudas Kamat in a straight contest, while in North Mumbai, BJP veteran Ram Naik will take on Congress nominee Ram Pandagale, a former legislator. However, in the textile dominated South-Central area, Shiv Sena candidateMohan Rawale is locked in a triangular contest against Janata Dal’s Sharad Rao and Samajwadi Party’s Sohal Lokhandwala. In North West too, Shiv Sena candidate Madhukar Sarpotdar will have to take on super cop-turned-politician and Janata Dal candidate A A Khan and SP’s Tushar Arun Gandhi.

Elsewhere in the state, three former Chief Ministers and a former speaker of the Lok Sabha are also locked in a virtual straight contest. In Baramati, former Chief Minister Sharad Pawar will take on Sena-BJP nominee Viraj Kakde, nephew of senior Janata Dal leader and former MP Sambhaji Kakde, while A R Antulay will meet his old rival Anant Tare in Kulaba. In the backward Vidarbha region, former Chief Minister Sudhakarrao Naik is contesting from his home constituency Washim against Sena-BJP nominee Gyaneswhar Shewale. In the last election, Naik was badly mauled by Sena nominee Pundlik Gawali.

Nashik will also witness a straight fight between Shiv Sena nominee and sitting MP, Rajabhau Godse and Congress candidate MadhavraoPatil, is in offing in the Nashik Lok Sabha constituency.

There are five candidates in the fray, the other three being Zunzar Mhasuji Avhad of the Bahujan Samaj Party, Arvind Haribhau Pathade of the Akhil Bharatiya Sena and an independent, Rajendra Gulabrao Khairnar, who are unlikely to make any significant impact at the hustings.

The electoral battle in Akola and Amravati will also be interesting as these two seats have been left for RPI by the Congress. In Akola, traditional loser Prakash Ambedkar has been locked in a straight contest against sitting member and BJP nominee Pundlik Fundkar, while in the neighbouring Amravati constituency, veteran republican party leader R S Gavai will take on sitting member and Sena nominee Anant Gudhe.

Former Lok Sabha speaker Shivraj Patil is seeking re-election from Latur, where BJP has fielded Rajya Sabha member Gopalrao Patil.

Pune too will witness a keen tussle between former Railway Minister Suresh Kalmadi and Congress nominee Vithal Tupe. Kalmadi, anindependent candidate, is supported by Shiv Sena and BJP. Bureaucrat turned social worker Avinash Dharmadhikari is also in the fray as an independent candidate.

In the neighbouring Thane district, Shiv Sena has renominated sitting member Prakash Paranjape, while Samajwadi Party has fielded esrtwhile sena MP Chandrika Kenia. In Rajapur, which was once represented by veteran Janata Dal leader Madhu Dandwate, former Janata Dal legislator Pushpasen Sawant will take on sena nominee Suresh Prabu, who was the member of the dissolved Lok Sabha and Konkani actor Machindra Kambli, a nominee of the Congress. In Nagpur, the second capital of Maharashtra, Congress has nominated former Union Minister Vilas Muttemwar against Sena-BJP’s Ramesh Mantri.