Maharashtra: Congress withholds announcement of Chandrapur nominee for Lok Sabha seat

Muttemwar’s name had all been but announced on Tuesday. He had also spoken to media about the party asking him to “go-ahead and prepare” for the fight. However, he said there was resistance within the party on the ground that he was a political novice and an outsider. They claimed that by taking the decision, the party was committing harakiri (rushing into).

Chandrapur, Nagpur, Yavatmal-Washim, Gadchiroli, Bhandara-Gondia, Wardha and Ramtek will vote on April 11 while Buldana, Akola and Amravati on April 18.

The constituency is currently held by BJP’s Hansraj Ahir, Union Minister of State for Home, who is the most obvious choice for the party this time too, although hasn’t yet been announced. In fact, the BJP has not announced any name for the 10 seats in Vidarbha, which are going to polls in two phases on April 11 and 18.

In another development, Suresh Dhanorkar, Shiv Sena MLA from Warora Assembly constituency has quit the party and has announced he would contest from Chandrapur as Independent. As reported earlier, Dhanorkar’s name was doing rounds as probable Congress nominee till a few days ago.

Another name in the grapevine is of Ashish Deshmukh, who had quit the BJP last year and joined the Congress after resigning as MLA from Katol Assembly constituency in Nagpur district.

Late on Tuesday night, the party announced two names from Vidarbha, Charulata Tokas for Wardha and former MPCC chief and Minister Manikrao Thakre for Yavatmal-Washim constituency.

Congress has so far fielded Namdeo Usendi from Gadchiroli and Nana Patole from Nagpur.

Another party nomination in a state of flux is Ramtek, a reserved seat for Scheduled Caste category, where the party is in a fix over whom to nominate. Former state Minister and party’s SC cell national president Nitin Raut, party national secretary Mukul Wasnik and Kishore Gajbhiye are the three names currently doing rounds. The party is unable to decide whether to field Wasnik from Ramtek or Amravati.

“He doesn’t get along with Sunil Kedar, party MLA from Saoner Assembly constituency, which is part of Ramtek,” said a senior party functionary.

Both the seats are currently held by Shiv Sena, Anandrao Adsul (Amravati) and Krupal Tumane (Ramtek).

Congress’ alliance partner NCP has so far announced only one candidate, former Minister Rajendra Shingne for the Buldana constituency currently held by Prataprao Jadhav of Shiv Sena.

The other seats from NCP quota, Bhandara-Gondia and Amravati, too, are waiting for the party nominees. Bhandara-Gondia is currently held by party’s Madhukar Kukde, who was elected in a bypoll last year following Nana Patole’s resignation as BJP MP there. There is no word yet on whether the party is going to repeat Kukde or erstwhile MP Praful Patel will contest. Patel’s possibility is currently discounted as he will have to relinquish his Rajya Sabha seat about three years in advance thereby depleting the Opposition strength in the Upper House.

Amravati’s NCP nomination, too, had been caught in a state of flux with the party trying to convince Congress to accept the candidature of Navneet Rana of Yuwa Swabhiman Paksha, a local outfit headed by her husband MLA Ravi Rana. NCP sees Navneet as a winning candidate but the Congress is not yet convinced about the proposal.