11 Lok Sabha seats of Maharashtra will go to polls on Monday (May 13) in the fourth phase. The seats, spread across the central Marathwada as well as northern and western regions of the state,
include — Nandurbar, Jalgaon, Raver, Jalna, Aurangabad, Maval, Pune, Shirur, Ahmednagar, Shirdi and Beed.
Total 298 candidates are contesting at these 11 seats. According to ata provided by the office of the state's chief electoral officer, voting will take place at 23,284 polling centres from 7 am to 6 pm. In the 11 seats, the count of eligible voters is over 2.28 crores. The count includes 1,18,59,645 men, 1,09,40,234 women and 1,272 third gender persons.
Prominent candiates in the fray
Some of the prominent candidates fielded by the BJP include Union minister Danve from Jalna constituency, Sujay Vikhe Patil from Ahmednagar, former state minister Pankaja Munde from Beed. On the other hand, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) has fielded actor-turned-politician Amol Kolhe from Shirur Lok Sabha seat in Pune district.
In Jalna the direct contest is between the BJP and the Congress in Jalna while in Aurangabad both the Shiv Sena factions – Shiv Sena (UBT) and Shiv Sena (Eknath) are at loggerhead. In Beed, the BJP has fielded former state minister Pankaja Munde instead of sitting MP and her younger sister Pritam Munde. Pankaja's main rival will be Bajrang Sonawane of the NCP (SP).
Shirur- A battle of prestige for Ajit Pawar
In Shirur, sitting MP Kolhe of the NCP (SP) is pitted against Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil, who is contesting as candidate of the NCP led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Apart from Baramati, Shirur is another battle of prestige for Ajit Pawar who has publicly stated that he wants to ensure the defeat of Kolhe.
In northern Maharashtra's Nandurbar (ST), BJP has pitted sitting MP Heena Gavit who will contest against Congress' Gowaal Padvi. In western Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar, BJP's Sujay Vikhe Patil is taking on Nilesh Lanke of the NCP (SP). The MLA from Parner in Ahmednagar district, Lanke sided with Ajit Pawar during the party split in July 2023. However, he later returned to the Sharad Pawar camp.
In the same region, the two rival Shiv Senas are locked in a bitter fight in Maval seat, post the 2022 split in the party. In the Pune Lok Sabha seat, the direct fight is between BJP and Congress.
In Jalgaon, the direct confrontation is between the BJP and the NCP (SP). Similarly in Jalgaon district’ other Lok Sabha seats Raver, the BJP and the NCP (SP) are taking on each other. In Shirdi constituency, the Shiv Sena led by Shinde is taking on the Shiv Sena (UBT).
(With PTI Inputs)
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