Maharashtra Lok Sabha elections 2024: Key constituencies and candidates in second phase

Maharashtra is set to elect 48 members to the Lok Sabha in an election spread across five phases, scheduled from April 19 to May 20 this year, with Mumbai residents casting their votes on May 20. In the first phase on April 19, polling took place in five constituencies in Vidarbha, including Ramtek, Nagpur, Bhandara-Gondia, Gadchiroli-Chimur, and Chandrapur. Moving to the second phase, eight constituencies in the Vidarbha and Marathwada regions—Buldhana, Akola, Amravati, Yavatmal Washim, Hingoli, Nanded, and Parbhani—are set to vote on April 26.

Notably, in the previous Lok Sabha election in 2019, Maharashtra voted in four phases, whereas in 2014, it was held in three phases.

Seat Allocation in Maharashtra

The eight Lok Sabha seats consist of five from Vidarbha and three from the Marathwada region. In these constituencies, the ruling Shiv Sena is contesting on three seats, while the BJP is vying for four. Meanwhile, the Ajit Pawar-led NCP has allocated its single seat to its ally, the Rashtriya Samaj Party (RSP). On the opposition front, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena will compete on four seats, the Congress on three, and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) on one seat.

Election Focus: Nanded, Amravati Seats

The eight constituencies present a mixed bag for both the ruling alliance and the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi. However, the spotlight is on the Nanded and Amravati seats in the second phase. The Nanded constituency has historically been a stronghold of the Congress. However, with veteran leader Ashok Chavan, who previously represented the seat twice, now joining the BJP, the saffron party seems to be in a strong position to retain the seat.

Nanded

With the responsibility to secure victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) contender in the Nanded Lok Sabha constituency, his native stronghold, Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Chavan is leaving no stone unturned for Prataprao Govindrao Chikhalikar Patil's success, treating it as his own electoral battle. Chavan, a former chief minister and a prominent figure in the state Congress, recently joined the BJP in February, adding a layer of complexity to his efforts to mitigate any "anti-incumbency" sentiments against Patil.

SC Relief for Navneet Rana

The recent Supreme Court ruling, which upheld BJP candidate Navneet Rana's caste certificate just hours before her nomination filing from Amravati, provides a relief for the BJP amid escalating challenges. Despite this legal triumph, Rana faces opposition from leaders across the political spectrum, posing potential hurdles to her electoral prospects. However, analysts say that the candidacy of Anandraj Ambedkar, the grandson of Dr B R Ambedkar, could potentially alter the landscape favourably for Rana. Ambedkar's candidacy is expected to divert votes away from the Congress, potentially strengthening Rana's position. In other Vidarbha constituencies such as Akola and Wardha, where the BJP maintains a robust voter base, the party is poised to sustain an advantage over the Congress.

Analysts assert that the forthcoming second phase represents a critical litmus test for Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who grapples with the formidable task of maintaining cohesion within the Shiv Sena amid recent candidate replacements mandated by the saffron party.

Buldhana

In the Buldhana constituency, the electoral battle is poised between Prataprao Jadhav of Shiv Sena and Narendra Khedekar of Shiv Sena-UBT.

Jadhav, a three-time Lok Sabha MP, recently switched his allegiance to Eknath Shinde's faction within Shiv Sena following a rebellion within the party. Despite aiming for his fourth term in Lok Sabha, Jadhav encounters hurdles due to internal discord within the ruling alliance.

On the opposition front, Uddhav Sena has nominated Narendra Khedekar, a former Zilla Parishad chief and a staunch loyalist of Thackeray. Khedekar, initially intended to contest the assembly elections in 2019 but was denied a ticket, now emerges as a significant contender for the Buldhana seat.

Amravati

Despite internal dissent within the party and among its allies, the BJP has chosen to field the incumbent Lok Sabha MP, Navneet Rana. Rana, who contested as an independent candidate with backing from the Congress and NCP in the 2019 elections, later defected to the BJP post-results. Notably, the Congress holds three of the six MLAs in this constituency and has nominated Balwant Wankhede, the sitting MLA from Daryapur, as its candidate. Furthermore, the Prahar party, led by MLA Bachchu Kadu and aligned with the NDA, has put forward Dinesh Boob as its candidate, openly opposing Rana's candidacy.

Parbhani

Despite the heightened polarisation in the Parbhani Lok Sabha seat, sitting Shiv Sena UBT MP Sanjay Jadhav, known for his unwavering loyalty to Uddhav Thackeray, has been reaffirmed as the party's candidate. This decision comes as the ruling alliance conceded the seat to the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, who has fielded Dhangar community leader Mahadev Jankar as their candidate.

Akola

In Akola constituency, the primary contest revolves around three key candidates: Anup Sanjay Dhotre of the BJP, Abhay Kashinath Patil of the Congress, and Prakash Yashwant Ambedkar of the Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi.

Since 2004, the BJP has maintained an unbroken streak of victories in the Akola Lok Sabha constituency. However, its bid for a fifth consecutive win faces a challenge, ironically, from allegations of parivarwad . The allegation arises from the ruling party's decision to nominate Anup Dhotre, the son of four-time MP Sanjay Dhotre, potentially complicating the party's electoral prospects.

Wardha

Two-time Lok Sabha MP Ramdas Tadas is eyeing a hat-trick of victories, capitalising on the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the support of the Teli community in the constituency. However, the opposition has sprung a surprise with former Congress MLA Amar Kale defecting to the Sharad Pawar-led NCP. Kale's candidacy from the NCP-SP coalition, as opposed to the conflict-ridden Congress, coupled with the emergence of a fresh, youthful, and unblemished Kunbi candidate, presents a formidable challenge for the BJP in this election.