Rebels in North Maharashtra, NCP in Pune district a worry for NDA

NASHIK/MUMBAI: The third generation of the Pawar family would expectedly be under focus when polling for seven seats outside Mumbai, Thane and Palghar takes place on Monday. All seven seats are held by the BJP-Sena, which now has the task before it of retaining these.


While polling in Maval, where NCP leader Ajit Pawar’s son Parth is making his electoral debut, would be closely watched, so would Shirur, where another NCP candidate, Marathi TV actor Amol Kolhe, has drawn crowds.

Both the Maval and Shirur seats are

in Pune district

, while the other five are

in North Maharashtra

. In two of these five constituencies, Nandurbar and Dindore, the fate of the Gavits would be decided by voters. Both are reserved ST seats, and if a third reserved ST seat – Palghar, which is not part of these 7 seats but of the 10 in and around Mumbai - were to be considered, we could make it three Gavits. Sitting MP Heena Vijaykumar Gavit is contesting from Nandurbar on a BJP ticket, CPI(M) MLA Jeeva Pandu Gavit is taking on BJP’s Dr Bharti Pawar in Dindori, and Sena’s Rajendra Gavit is contesting from Palghar against ex-MP Baliram Jadhav of Bahujan Vikas Aghadi.

In Maharashtra, tribes such as the Bhils, Gonds, Mahadeo Kolis, Pawras, Thakars, Warlis and Katkaris are found prominently in a few districts like Nandurbar, Nashik, Dhule, Palghar, Raigad, Thane and Chandrapur.

In four seats -- Nashik, Shirdi, Dhule and Nandurbar -- four BJP

rebels

are in the fray.

In Nashik, former legislator from Sinnar Manikrao Kokate is the BJP rebel against sitting Sena MP Hemant Godse and might affect the saffron vote-bank. In Dhule, legislator Anil Gote has revolted against BJP; in Nandurbar, BJP leader Suhas Natwadkar is contesting as an independent; and in Shirdi, the rebel is Bhausaheb Wakchaure.