In Satara, Udayanraje Bhosale, a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, won in 2019 on a NCP ticket and then lost the bypolls after he switched to the BJP.He was elected to the Rajya Sabha but is keen to contest again.The hitch is he was never on good terms with Ajit Pawar when in the NCP, and the latter is now part of the ruling alliance as deputy chief minister.The NCP has moved a proposal in the ruling alliance laying claim to Satara seat and allowing Bhosale to contest on the ‘clock’ symbol.Bhosale is not keen as this would mean accepting the Deputy CM’s leadership, and secondly because traditional BJP voters will not vote for him, the political observer claimed.As an NCP candidate, Bhosale would lose the protection of the “mighty” BJP, he added.The situation is more complex in Madha Lok Sabha constituency, which comprises four assembly segments from Solapur and two from Satara.The prominent Ramraje Nimbalkar family from the Phaltan assembly segment in Satara district and Vijaysinh Mohite Patil family from the Malshiras assembly seat in Solapur have expressed their displeasure over Ranjitsinh Naik Nimbalkar’s candidature.Ramraje is currently a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council from Ajit Pawar-led NCP, while the Mohite-Patil family is with the BJP.Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil’s son Ranjitsinh is also an MLC.The Sangola (in Solapur) assembly constituency is a stronghold of the Peasants and Workers Party (PWP), having won it for decades except in 2019.A few days back, PWP leader Jayant Patil rushed to Sangola to hold talks with party workers and later met Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil.Speaking to reporters, Jayant Patil said, “The result of Madha could be surprising. A lot of discussion is going on.” A video of Ramraje Naik-Nimbalkar addressing a gathering, in which he is pitching for change in candidate, has also gone viral.Unfazed, Ranjitsinh Naik-Nimbalkar, the BJP candidate who won his maiden Lok Sabha election in 2019, told reporters he was trying to build a consensus and was confident of people’s support.”Jaykumar Gore, the BJP MLA from Man assembly segment in Satara, is a staunch supporter of Ranjitsinh Naik-Nimbalkar. But apart from Gore, he does not have many supporters,” a political observer claimed.Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil, a NCP heavyweight from Solapur with strong family ties to the Congress, saw his son Ranjitsinh Mohite-Patil joining the BJP ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and paving the way for Ranjitsinh Naik-Nimbalkar.The Mohite-Patil family’s relation with the BJP has turned into one of discontent and to maintain control over the district, it is thinking of jumping back to the NCP, especially after Sharad Pawar recently met Vijaysinh Mohite Patil.Moreover, people believe Madha seat has four assembly segments from Solapur and, hence, the candidate should be from the district, said a political observer.”It reflects the BJP’s failure to groom leadership in the region despite being in power for 10 years. The BJP in the early years used to denounce such political dynasties like the Mohite-Patils of Solapur or Naik-Nimbalkars of Phaltan Satara,” senior political observer Prakash Akolkar of Mumbai said.”BJP used to criticise the Congress. Now such families are with the BJP and the party leadership is dragging itself behind them,” he said.
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