Lok Sabha elections: Big battle for Deshmukhs in water-starved Latur

LATUR: Scions of the Deshmukh and Nilangekar families from Latur, which have given Maharashtra two chief ministers, are again locked in a battle for supremacy in the Lok Sabha constituency at the heart of Marathwada.



Though the Congress has nominated Machhindra Kamat and the BJP has picked Sudhakar Shrungare here, the real contest is between former CM and Congress veteran late Vilasrao Deshmukh’s son Amit and ex-MP of BJP Rupatai Patil Nilangekar’s son Sambhaji.

While the poll battle plays out under the shadow of acute water scarcity, the ‘water train’ which saved the day for Latur in the summer of 2016 has become the talking point this election. Amit blames Sambhaji, a BJP minister, for using the water train as a “ploy” to win polls.

Amit has demanded that Ujani dam in Solapur district must be declared as the “national project” in order to ensure the desired share of water for Latur and other drought-prone districts of Marathwada.

“The ruling BJP government had been assuring time and again that it would bring water from Ujani dam and other sources to Latur,” he said, while addressing an election rally.

“The government could have easily laid the pipeline from Ujani dam to Manjra dam but failed to do needful,” he added.

Sambhaji Patil Nilangekar

told TOI that CM Devendra Fadnavis has already committed his support to draw water to Latur from Ujani dam.

“The work has already started on the ground,” he said.

“The parched areas of Marathwada will get their share of water. At the same time, we would like to ask our friends from the Congress why they failed to bring water from Ujani to Latur during their long rule,” he added.

Latur residents, however, are

nonchalant

about the battle between the political dynasties and are rather seeking sustainable measures to end their water woes.

Bhairavi Mahamuni, a working woman residing at Walmiki Nagar off Barshi Road, said water scarcity has made life miserable for them.

“Nobody knows the importance of water like us. The horrific memories of the drought in 2016 are still alive, even as water scarcity rears its head again this year,” she said.

“More than the election fever, we are gripped with panic of facing next two months of summer,” she added.

D B Ausekar, a retired college professor, said water scarcity has taken the sheen out of the Lok Sabha election.

“Latur has the potential to grow but water scarcity proves a major impediment. An educational hub and major daal market in the country, the city needs a permanent solution for its water woes,” he said.

“Let us hope that a strong political emerges from this Lok Sabha election to end water-related issues,” he added.

BJP first made an inroad into Latur in 2004, when Rupatai Patil Nilangekar halted Congress veteran Shivraj Patil-Chakurkar’s successful run in the elections. He had won the Lok Sabha polls for seven times on a trot.

The constituency got reserved for the SC category in 2009, permanently throwing Shivraj Patil-Chakurkar, a Maratha strongman, out of the race.

Vilasrao Deshmukh ensured Kolhapur resident Jaywant Awale’s win from here in 2009 by a slender margin against BJP’s Sunil Gaikwad, who got his revenge by winning the 2014 election.

The BJP, which had no representation in the Latur municipal corporation in 2012, sprung a surprise five years later.

It romped home with many as 41 of the 70 seats in the civic body, giving an upper hand to Nilangekar.

This time, BJP has dropped Gaikwad in favour of Sudhakar Shrungare, who is into the construction business.

He was a popular choice among local party workers, resulting in sealing his candidature from the seat.

The Congress has nominated Machhindra Kamat, who left NCP to join the Congress ahead of the polls.

A postgraduate in commerce stream, he had unsuccessfully contested the 2009 assembly election as NCP candidate from Udgir.

The Latur Lok Sabha constituency covers Latur city, Latur rural, Ahmadpur, Udgir, Loha and Nilanga assembly constituencies. Of these, Congress is in power in only Latur city and Latur rural, Udgir and Nilanga are with BJP, while Loha is with Shiv Sena.

Ahmadpur is ruled by an independent candidate, who supports the BJP.

With the Latur municipal corporation and four of the six MLAs on its side, BJP is sitting pretty here.

The task is cut out for Amit to bring the constituency back into Congress kitty.