Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Oct 29 (PTI) The Beed assembly seat, once a stronghold of the NCP (undivided), is witnessing fierce competition in the upcoming elections, with four members of former minister Jaydatta Kshirsagar’s family entering the fray.
The seat had been won four times, split between the undivided NCP and Congress, Shiv Sena, alongside victories by the Communist Party of India and the Janata Party.
Four members of the Kshirsagar family in the fray include the Kshirsagar senior, his two nephews- Sandeep and Yogesh, and Sandeep’s wife Neha.
In the 2019 assembly polls, NCP (undivided) candidate Sandeep Kshirsagar narrowly defeated his uncle, Jaydatta Kshirsagar, who contested as a Shiv Sena (undivided) nominee, by 1,984 votes.
This election cycle sees Jaydatta contesting as an independent candidate, while Sandeep, the last MLA loyal to Sharad Pawar during the NCP split, is running under the NCP (SP) banner. His wife, Neha Kshirsagar, is also in the race as an independent.
Additionally, Yogesh Kshirsagar, another nephew of Jaydatta, has entered the contest after initially filing as an Independent. On Monday night, the NCP led by Ajit Pawar officially announced his candidature for the Beed seat.
Other contenders include Shiv Sena leader Anil Jagtap and former MLA Suresh Nawle, both of whom have filed nominations as independent candidates.
Voting for the 288 seats in Maharashtra will be held on November 20 and votes will be counted after three days.
Senior journalist Datta Deshmukh said the picture will become clearer after the withdrawal of nominations on November 4.
“However, each Kshirsagar has its own challenges. There are factions within Yogesh Kshirsagar’s supporters who do not recognise his leadership. Jaydatta lacks the backing of political parties, and there is growing discontent regarding Sandeep Kshirsagar,” he told PTI. PTI AW NSK
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