In Nagpur, Mahayuti & MVA Brass Battle For Hometown Supremacy

Nagpur: The electoral battle in Nagpur Lok Sabha constituency has transcended individual candidates, becoming a showdown between ideologies followed by Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the two major political alliances in the state. As the campaigning heats ups, both camps are making strategic moves and trading barbs at every opportunity.A Congress bastion for decades, Nagpur’s political landscape took a historic turn when BJP’s Nitin Gadkari defeated four-time Congress MP Vilas Muttemwar in 2014, heralding an era of saffron dominance.

In 2019, Gadkari triumphed over MPCC president Nana Patole, who had resigned as BJP MP in 2018 over differences with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on farmers’ issues. However, Gadkari’s victory margin had gone down slightly in 2019.This time, big players in Maharashtra’s political arena are converging in the city to secure victory for their party candidates. BJP candidate and Union minister Nitin Gadkari is sparing no efforts to create history for the party with a hat-trick of victories. His main challenger, Congress’s West Nagpur MLA Vikas Thakre, though initially hesitant, has now pressed the accelerator, symbolizing his party’s resolve to challenge BJP’s dominance.Except Muttemwar, no candidate has scored a hat-trick of victories in the constituency since the first elections in 1952. The OBC community has emerged as a pivotal player in the calculus, constituting over 50% of the population. While traditionally a Congress vote bank, recent years have seen a shift in allegiance to BJP. Analysts are predicting an uphill battle for Thakre against Gadkari, a politician with a widespread appeal cutting across caste and religious lines.As per poll analysts, Gadkari’s initiatives towards Muslims may help him fetch more votes of the community which has also traditionally backed Congress.In the BJP camp, the star campaigners include deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule. For Congress, the reins are being held by Patole and leader of opposition in assembly Vijay Wadettiwar, who represent assembly constituencies in Bhandara and Chandrapur respectively, but call Nagpur their home.Scoring a major advantage over the rivals, BJP rallied support for Gadkari and Mahayuti’s Ramtek candidate Raju Parwe through Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally. Fadnavis and Bawankule too joined Gadkari during his campaign trail in Nagpur Southwest constituency.Under MLC Pravin Datke, BJP has mobilized its formidable network, with party brass spreading out across the district, reaching out to voters at booth level. They are getting indirect support from cadres of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).BJP netas are highlighting Gadkari’s track record in developmental works not only in Nagpur but across Vidarbha and Maharashtra, appealing to voters from all castes and religions.On the other hand, Congress’s Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala spearheads the campaign for Thakre. The party is banking on traditional vote banks of Dalits, Buddhists, Muslims, and other minorities. Aiming to capitalize on his popularity at the grass roots level, Thakre is also seeking Kunbi community votes. The Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) has supported Thakre, which they feel would avoid splitting of votes.However, the presence of BSP’s Yogesh Lanjewar adds a layer of complexity to Congress’s strategy. Historically, the Mayawati-led party has wielded influence in the region, attracting a significant vote share. Mayawait also addressed a rally in Nagpur on Thursday in support of the party candidate.In 2014, BSP candidate Mohan Gaikwad had polled around 96,000 votes while in 2009 Manikrao Vaidya secured 1.18 lakh votes. But in 2019, BSP’s Mohammed Jamal could get only 31,725 votes.Thakre says he is undeterred. The former mayor seeks to capitalize on his support base and banking on his reputation as a politician who resolves citizens’ issues. Despite Gadkari’s dominance in the last two polls, certain constituencies, notably North Nagpur, have reflected a shift in voter sentiment.As the political landscape evolves and voters weigh their options, the outcome of this electoral showdown will shape the trajectory of Nagpur’s future.