Independent MLA Prakash Awade withdraws from race, relief for Shiv Sena in Hatkanangle

Independent legislator from Ichalkaranji Prakash Awade has withdrawn his candidature from the Lok Sabha race, days after he had earlier announced to contest polls, which would have led to a division of votes for Dharyasheel Mane of Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

After meeting Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday, Awade decided not to contest the polls. By afternoon, he joined a rally attended by the Chief Minister when Dhairyasheel Mane and Sanjay Mandlik filed their nomination papers in Kolhapur.

“Awade has now decided to support the Mahayuti candidate in this election after the fruitful meeting we had with him,” said Shinde during the rally.

After serving as a Congressman for many years, Awade quit the party and contested the 2019 assembly polls as an independent.

As an MLA, Awade was close to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which is part of the Mahayuti coalition. As the Chairperson of the Jawahar Cooperative Sugar Mill, Awade also holds significant interests in the local textile industry. Alongside fellow MLAs Vinay Kore and Rajendra Patil Yedravkar from the district, Awade had expressed discontent with Mane’s re-nomination.

Meanwhile, Mahayuti’s candidates Sanjay Mandlik and Dhairyasheel Mane filed their nomination in Kolhapur in the presence of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday.

On this occasion, Mahayuti exercised its show of strength with a large number of supporters joining the rally.

“There was a huge response from the people of Kolhapur, and we are confident that both our candidates will win their respective seats of Kolhapur and Hatkanangle. It was a dream of Balasaheb Thackeray that both the MPs of Kolhapur should be representing the Shivsena and we will fulfil his dream,” said Shinde during the rally.

In Kolhapur, Mandlik locks horns with Chhatrapati Shahu of Congress while in Hatkanangle, the contest appears multi-cornered with farmer leader Raju Shetti and Satyajeet Patil Sarudkar of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) also in the fray.