Maharashtra mahasangram: Two Senas, two NCPs, too confusing? | Mumbai News – Times of India

MUMBAI: There are two of everything in Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra this time. TOI identifies two top contenders in each constituency.
Mumbai North
BJP | Piyush Goyal | 59 | Rajya Sabha MP since 2010. This is his first Lok Sabha election. The seat is a BJP bastion — with large Gujarati and north-Indian populations — barring Govinda’s win for Congress in 2004.
Sena (UBT) | Vinod Ghosalkar (probable) | 67 | Ex-corporator, former MLA.Has been pitchforked back into the rough and tumble of electoral politics following son’s murder
Mumbai North Central
BJP | Ashish Shelar (probable) | 51 BJP city chief. Started out in student politics; was ABVP Mumbai secretary; then MLC. Won first Vidhan Sabha election in 2014 from Bandra. Has a reputation as cricket administrator: Is Mumbai Cricket Association vice-president and BCCI treasurer.
Congress | Varsha Gaikwad (probable) | 49 | Ex-state cabinet minister and four-time MLA. Represents Dharavi in Mumbai. Though Dharavi is not part of North Central, the daughter of veteran Congress MP Eknath Gaikwad may emerge as consensus candidate in the absence of strong contenders
Mumbai South Central
BJP | Rahul Shewale | 50 Two-time and sitting MP. Is an engineer. Was BMC corporator and standing committee chairman for four years. Was Sena candidate from Trombay assembly seat in 2004 but lost to Congress. Is a close aide of Eknath Shinde.
Sena (UBT) | Anil Desai | 66 Was Rajya Sabha member for two terms. Considered to be close Uddhav aide and is among party’s backroom boys. Also handles party’s legal matters and organisational activities. Known as party’s temperate, Englishspeaking face.
Mumbai North East
BJP | Mihir Kotecha | 49 Rajya Sabha member since 2010. This is his first Lok Sabha election. The seat is a BJP bastion — with large Gujarati and north-Indian populations. A notable exception was Govinda’s win for Congress in 2004. Now the actor is on the same side (recently joined Shinde’s Sena).
Sena (UBT) | Sanjay Dina Patil | 55 Became MP in 2009 from the seat on NCP ticket. Re-election bid failed. Joined Sena in 2019. In 2004, was elected MLA from Bhandup. Father, Dina Bama Patil, was elected MLA from Mulund in 1985.
Mumbai North West
Sena | (Marathi candidate likely) | CM Eknath Shinde keen to project a strong Marathi face against UBT’s Amol Kirtikar. But given the presence of north Indians and others in sizeable numbers and a tough opponent, there’s a question mark over who to nominate.
Sena (UBT) | Amol Kirtikar | 52 Son of two-time Sena MP Gajanan Kirtikar, who joined Shinde’s rebellion. Amol’s name was announced by Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and he is already well into his campaign. An active Yuva Sena member, he is known for his organisational skills, and is said to be party’s best bet in the seat.
Mumbai South
Sena | Milind Deora (probable) | 47 Chief minister Shinde is faced with the same dilemma: His candidate must be acceptable to a diverse voter base. Thackeray’s Sena has strong support in at least three of the six assembly segments.
Sena (UBT) | Arvind Sawant | 72 Two-time MP. Defeated Congress’s Milind Deora in 2014 and 2019. Among the five Uddhav-loyalist sitting MPs. Was briefly Union heavy industries minister in 2019 before Sena broke out of NDA to form MVA with Congress and NCP.
PHASE 1 | April 19
Cong aims to deepen dent in saffron stronghold.
Advantage | Mahayuti has the upper hand, courtesy strong BJP and RSS networks. But this is also the region where Cong won its only Maharashtra seat (Chandrapur) in 2019.
Issues | Farm distress, unemployment, development vs tribal rights (with Maoist trouble thrown in), high power tariff (industry).
Personality | Nitin Gadkari is sure of a third consecutive win (Nagpur), but has made it a point of pride to secure an even wider victory margin.
Chances
Strongest: Mahayuti in Nagpur and BhandaraGondia. MVA in Chandrapur and Gadchiroli-Chimur.
Weakest: Mahayuti in Ramtek and Chandrapur. MVA in Nagpur and Bhandara-Gondia
Nagpur
BJP | Nitin Gadkari | 67 One of the most successful ministers in Modi govt. Credited with uplifting India’s road and ports infrastructure. Is considered close to RSS and has maintained excellent relations with opposition. His name did not figure in BJP’s first list of candidates, prompting Shiv Sena (UBT) to offer him a seat.
Congress | Vikas Thakre | 57 A political protege of ex-Union minister Vilas Muttemwar, he is said to be a reluctant candidate against Gadkari.
Chandrapur
BJP | Sudhir Mungantiwar | 61 Chandrapur native, is minister in state cabinet, was party state unit president. Was keen on continuing in state politics and reluctant to contest Lok Sabha polls. Gave in to Delhi diktat. Fighting from only seat Congress won in state last time.
Congress| Pratibha Dhanorkar | 38 Wife of late MP Suresh (Balu) Dhanorkar. Is also an MLA from the district (Warora seat). Her husband was Congress’s only MP from Maharashtra in the outgoing Lok Sabha. He died in a Delhi hospital in May last year.
Bhandara-Gondia
BJP | Sunil Baburao Mendhe | 55 Sitting MP. Was mayor of Bhandara-Gondiya Municipal Council. Trained with RSS. Set up his own infrastructure company in 1992.
Cong | Dr Prashant Padole | 45 Finished medical education at Odessa National Medical University, Ukraine. Fought assembly polls from Sakoli in 2014 on Sena ticket, lost.
Ramtek (SC)
Sena | Raju Parwe | 52 MLA from Umred. Quit Congress for Sena recently
Cong | Shyamkumar Barve | 46 Nominated after wife Rashmi Barve, a loyalist of Cong MLA Sunil Kedar, lost validity of caste certificate.
Gadchiroli-Chimur (ST)
BJP | Ashok Nete | 61 Sitting BJP MP. If he wins, this will be his third term as MP. Before parliamentary career, was MLA for two terms.
Cong | Namdeo Kirsan | 65 Former excise officer. Is general secretary of state Congress and the party’s poll coordinator for the constituency. Had earlier contested as an independent.
PHASE 2 | April 26
BJP aims to solidify dominance.
Advantage | Mahayuti has an edge, courtesy BJP’s overwhelming presence in the region, though Sena split threatens to dent chances.
Issues | Farm distress (Yavatmal is the epicentre of farmer suicides).
Personality | All eyes on model-turned-actor- turned-politician Navneet Rana, who won Amravati in 2019 as an independent with NCP support, but is now on a BJP ticket.
Chances
Strongest: Mahayuti in Amravati, Wardha and Akola. MVA in Yavatmal-Washim and Buldhana.
Weakest: Mahayuti in YavatmalWashim and Buldhana. MVA in Amravati and Akola
Amravati (SC).
BJP | Navneet Rana | 38 Sitting MP. Was elected as an independent, with NCP support, but went on to back BJP on almost all issues. Used to be a model and actor.
Congress | Balwant Wankhede | 56 Started with RS Gavai’s RPI faction. Joined Cong in 2019 and became MLA
Akola
BJP | Anup Dhotre | 39 Replaces three-time MP and ailing father, Sanjay Dhotre
Congress | Dr Abhay Patil | 59 An orthopaedic surgeon, is general secretary of party’s state committee 3rd canditate | VBA founder Prakash Ambedkar
Buldhana
Sena | Prataprao Jadhav | 63 Three-time MP. Was a minister in SenaBJP govt. Heads a sugar mill
Sena (UBT) | Narendra Khedekar | 66 Party’s district chief and a known face in region (after Sena split, sitting MP Prataprao Jadhav joined Shinde faction).
Parbhani
RSP | Mahadev Jankar | 55 Face of Dhangar (shepherd) community, which is a sizeable vote bank in the region.
Sena (UBT) | Sanjay Jadhav | 57 Sitting MP and among five of 18 Sena MPs who didn’t join Shinde rebellion. Born in a farmers’ family. Is from Warkari sect.
Nanded
BJP | Prataprao Patil Chikhalikar | 64 | Sitting MP, who defeated longtime rival and then Cong candidate Ashok Chavan in 2019, but now finds himself on the same side.
Congress | Vasantrao Chavan | 69 | Twoterm MLA. Founded educational institutions. Known for grassroots connect.
Hingoli
Sena | Baburao Kohalikar | 60 Grassroots worker with little presence beyond district
Sena (UBT) | Nagesh Patil-Ashtikar | 51 | Is a former MLA from Hadgaon. Known as a loyal Shiv Sainik
Yavatmal Washim
Sena | Rajashree Patil | 51 | Wife of Hingoli MP Hemant Patil. Yavatmal is her maternal home. New to polls
Sena (UBT) | Sanjay Deshmukh | 55 | Was MLA in 1999 and 2004. Is a director of Yavatmal District Central Cooperative Bank. Was sports minister 2002-04.
Wardha
BJP | Ramdas Tadas | 71 Two-time and sitting MP. Was NCP MLC before joining BJP in 2009
NCP (SP) | Amar Kale | 50 Son of former Cong legislator Sharad Kale. Was MLA. Lost 2014 polls. Joined NCP (SP) recently
PHASE 3 | May 7
Pawar vs Pawar
Advantage | Unclear. Region used to be NCP stronghold, but party has split
ISSUES | Most of the seats cover a large part of western Maharashtra (sugar belt). Sugarcane farmers and cooperatives determine poll outcomes. The region has a raging water crisis.
Personality | Sharad Pawar’s reputation at stake as daughter and Baramati sitting MP Supriya Sule tries to fend off challenge from cousin Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra.
Chances
Strongest: Mahayuti in Raigad and Sangli. MVA in Baramati, Kolhapur and Madha.
Weakest: Mahayuti in Kolhapur, Osmanabad and Solapur. MVA in Latur, Sangli, Ratnagiri.
Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg
BJP | Narayan Rane | 72 Minister in Modi cabinet. Former CM. Quit Sena for Congress in 2005. Launched own party in 2017, which he merged with BJP a couple of years later.
Sena (UBT) | Vinayak Raut | 70 | Two-time MP. Uddhav loyalist. Has led protests against Nanar nuclear power project. Originally from Mumbai (was corporator, then MLA).
Raigad
NCP | Sunil Tatkare | 68 Sitting MP. Party’s state chief. Held several ministries in various cabinets, including finance ministry in 2009-10. Daughter is an MLC.
Sena (UBT) | Anant Geete | 72 Sena veteran and six-time MP. Was in Union cabinet in 2014-2019 and 2002-2004.
Baramati
NCP | Sunetra Pawar | 60 Ajit Pawar’s wife. Sixth in now-divided Pawar clan to enter poll race (following Sharad Pawar, Ajit, Supriya Sule, elder son Parth, Sharad’s grand-nephew
Rohit).
NCP (SP) | Supriya Sule | 54 Sharad Pawar’s daughter. Threetime Lok Sabha MP, before which she was Rajya Sabha MP.
Satara
BJP | Udayanraje Bhosale | 58 | Descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji. Revenue minister in Sena-BJP govt (1998-99). Elected NCP MP in 2009 and 2014. Joined BJP in 2019 for by-poll, lost. Elected to RS in 2020
NCP (SP) | Shashikant Shinde | 60 | Was water resources minister (2013) in Cong-NCP govt. MLC since 2020. Stood with Sharad Pawar after NCP split.
Hatkanangle*
Sena | Dhairyashil Mane | 43 | Sitting MP. Son of ex-MP Nivedita Mane. Grandfather was MP five times
Sena (UBT) | Satyajeet Patil | 53 | Currently an MLC. Two-time MLA (2004 and 2014) *4-cornered fight, with Swabhimani Paksha’s Raju Shetti & VBA’s DC Patil.
Kolhapur
Sena | Sanjay Mandlik | 59 Sitting MP. Son of late NCP MLA Sadashivrao Mandlik. Runs a sugar cooperative.
Cong | Shahu Chhatrapati Maharaj | 76 | Descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji. Known as a torchbearer of progressive movements.
Sangli
BJP | Sanjaykaka Patil | 59 Two-time sitting MP. Won both times by a comfortable margin
Sena (UBT) | Chandrahar Patil | 38 | Two-time winner of state’s top wrestling competition. Joined party recently. His candidature was earlier announced by VBA.
Madha
BJP | Ranjit Naik-Nimbalkar | 47 Sitting MP. Belongs to local royal family. Faces opposition from local BJP unit over nomination.
NCP (SP) | Dhairyasheel Mohite Patil | 47 | Quit BJP recently. Nephew of former NCP cabinet minister Vijaysinh Mohite Patil, a Madha heavyweight who joined BJP in 2019. The Mohite Patils are miffed with BJP for overlooking a scion of their family.
Latur (SC)
BJP | Sudhakar Shrungare | 61 Sitting MP, though recent entrant into Latur politics
Cong | Dr Shivaji Kalge | 54 A well-known local doctor.
Solapur (SC)
BJP | Ram Satpute | 36 MLA. Is considered close to Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis. Hailing from a poor family, marriage at a five-star in 2020 drew attention.
Cong | Praniti Shinde | 43 Daughter of former Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde. Three-time MLA. AICC member.
Osmanabad
NCP | Archana Patil | 52 BJP MLA Rana Jagjitsingh’s wife. Joined NCP as inter-party poll arrangement
Sena (UBT) | Omraje Nimbalkar | 40 Sitting MP. Was MLA. Son of late Pavanraje Nimbalkar and nephew of former MP Padamsinh Patil. In 2019, dodged a knife attack at a meeting.
PHASE 4 | May 13
Congress on retake mode.
Advantage | Both alliances stand equal chances in the face of confusion on account of party-hopping and interalliance adjustments.
Issues: Maratha reservation stir.
Personality: Late BJP stalwart Gopinath Munde’s eldest daughter Pankaja making national poll debut (Beed)
Chances
Strongest: Mahayuti in Nandurbar, Jalna and Beed. MVA in Aurangabad, Ahmednagar and Shirur.
Weakest: Mahayuti in Ahmednagar, Aurangabad and Shirur. MVA in Jalna, Raver and Nandurbar
Maval.
Sena | Shrirang Barne | 60 | Two-time sitting MP. Defeated Dy CM Ajit Pawar’s son Parth in 2019
Sena (UBT) | Sanjog Waghere | 59 Is former mayor, Pimpri-Chinchwad. Hails from a local political family, which switched from Cong to NCP. Joined Sena (UBT) in 2024.
Nandurbar (ST)
BJP | Heena Vijay Gavit | 36 | Daughter of ex-minister Vijay Kumar Gavit. Became youngest MP, along with Raksha Khadse, in 2014.
Congress | Gowashi Padvi | 65 | Son of former minister KC Padvi. Was tribal devpt minister in MVA govt
Jalgaon.
BJP | Smita Wagh | 56 | Became MLC in 2015. Was state unit president of party’s women’s wing. Late husband Uday Wagh was district president.
Sena (UBT) | Karan Pawar | 37 | Twice president of Parola Municipal Council. Quit BJP recently
Raver.
BJP | Raksha Khadse | 36 | Daughter-inlaw of former BJP leader Eknath Khadse (now with Sharad NCP). Following nomination, Eknath announced he won’t contest.
NCP (SP) | Shriram Patil | 47 | Well-known local social activist. Quit BJP recently
Jalna.
BJP | Raosaheb Danve | 69 Five-time sitting MP. Is junior rly minister. Former state BJP president, but preferred to be at Centre.
Congress | Kalyan Kale | 60 | Two-time MLA who gave a tough fight to Danve in 2009 polls
Pune
BJP | Murlidhar Mohol | 50 | Former mayor of Pune. Is close associate of Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis. Came into limelight as mayor during Covid.
Congress | Ravindra Dhangekar | 57 | Emerged giant killer by defeating BJP-Sena Kasba Peth bypoll candidate last year, 1st post-Sena split MVA victory.
Ahmednagar
BJP | Sujay Vikhe Patil | 49 | Sitting MP. Belongs to the politically dominant Vikhe Patil family. Father is a minister. Sujay won his first election in the 2019 polls A surgeon by profession.
NCP (SP) | Nilesh Lanke | 44 MLA since 2019. Was with Ajit Pawar, but distanced himself following differences.
Beed
BJP | Pankaja Munde | 44 | This will be national electoral debut for late BJP stalwart Gopinath Munde’s eldest daughter. Sister Pritam is twotime and sitting MP. Cousin Dhananjay is with NCP
NCP (SP) | Bajrang Sonwane | 53 Joined Ajit Pawar-led NCP after party split. Recently returned to NCP (SP).
Shirdi (SC)
Sena | Sadashiv Lokhande | 61 Two-time and sitting MP. Three-time MLA from Karjat as BJP candidate
Sena (UBT) | Bhausaheb Wakchaure | 74 Former chief officer of Saibaba trust. Joined party in Aug 2023. Was Sena MP, joined Cong, then BJP, before joining Sena (UBT).
Aurangabad
BJP | Dr Bhagwat Karad (probable) | 67 Junior Union finance minister. Rajya Sabha member. Retired paediatric surgeon.
Sena (UBT) | Chandrakant Khaire | 72 Elected for 4 consecutive terms: 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014. Was minister 1995-1999.
Shirur
NCP | Shivaji Adhalrao Patil | 67 Won Khed in 2004 and Shirur seat in 2009 and 2014 for Sena. Joined Shinde after party split. Joined NCP as inter-party poll arrangement.
NCP (SP) | | Amol Kolhe | 43 Sitting MP. Actor-turned-politician. Quit Sena for NCP in 2019. After Ajit Pawar’s revolt, did a flipflop. Later stood like a rock with Sr Pawar.
PHASE 5 | May 20
Thackeray legacy on the line
Advantage | Unclear. Most seats were strongholds of undivided Sena.
Issues | Mahayuti to play up mega infra projects in Mumbai and CAG report on corruption in BMC (Sena in power for over two decades) MVA to harp on Shinde’s “betrayal” of Thackeray, price rise, and Adani’s “unwanted entry” into Dharavi redevelopment project.
Personality | Uddhav Thackeray waging pitched battle in heartland Mumbai seats, Thane and Kalyan. For him, it’s a simple matter of ancestral honour, and to prove that his party is the “real Sena”.
Chances
Mahayuti is yet to ?nalise candidates for Mumbai North West, Mumbai South and Mumbai North Central MVA has not yet declared Cong candidates for Mumbai North and Mumbai North Central
Thane.
Sena | Pratap Sarnaik (probable) | 59 | Three-time MLA. Has interests in real estate and hospitality. Was the first Sena MLA who wrote to Thackeray before the split, asking him to mend fences with BJP
Sena (UBT) | Rajan Vichare | 62 Sitting MP with two terms. Staunch Shiv Sainik. Entered politics as a teenager. Mentored by the late Anand Dighe. Known for his enviable connection with Thackeray family
Kalyan.
Sena | Dr Shrikant Shinde | 37 Two-time and sitting MP. Chief minister Eknath Shinde’s son. Is a medical practitioner (MBBS, followed by MS, orthopaedics).
Sena (UBT) | Vaishali Darekar | 49 | Known as a firebrand. Started poll career by becoming a Sena corporator in 2005. Won on MNS ticket in 2010, becoming opposition leader in KDMC
Bhiwandi.
BJP | Kapil Patil | 63 Quit NCP in 2014 and contested on a BJP ticket. He is currently Union minister for Panchayati Raj. He’s the BJP’s prominent OBC face from the Agri community.
NCP (SP) | Suresh Mhatre | 54 Was Bhiwandi Lok Sabha liaison head of Shinde’s Shiv Sena. Joined NCP (SP) recently.
Palghar (ST)
BJP/Sena | Rajendra Gavit (probable) | 56 | Was tribal development minister in Congress-NCP govt before switching to BJP and winning 2018 LS bypoll in Palghar. In 2019 joined Sena and became MP. Might have to return to BJP to retain candidature.
Sena (UBT) | Bharti Kamdi | 50 A grassroots worker, she has been associated with the party since the late nineties.
Nashik
Sena | Hemant Godse (probable) | 53 | Two-time sitting MP. After Sena split, joined Shinde group
Sena (UBT) | Rajabhau Waje | 59 Former MLA from Sinnar. Grandfather was first MLA from Sinnar, grandmother was first female MLA of Sinnar. Supports farmers’ causes and has led several agitations
Dindori (ST).
BJP | Dr Bharati Pawar | 45 Junior Union tribal affairs minister. Contested in 2014 on NCP ticket and lost. After NCP’s ticket refusal in 2019, joined BJP and won.
NCP (SP) | Bhaskar Bhagade | 53 With NCP since inception in 1999. Was general secretary of Nashik NCP Dhule BJP | Subhash Bhamre | 70 Two-time sitting MP. Former junior defence minister Cong | Shobha Bachhav | 65 Former mayor of Nashik. Is not a local but has familial ties to the region.