Chandrapur, Apr 17 (PTI) In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Chandrapur in Maharashtra was the only seat, out of the total 48 in the state, that Congress managed to win. But this time, the fight may not be easy for it as the BJP is sparing no effort to win back the constituency and fielded a state minister from there.
From the Congress’s side, Pratibha Dhanorkar, the wife of Suresh alias Balu Dhanorkar who died last year, is in the fray, while the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has given a chance to Sudhir Mungantiwar, who is the Minister of Forests, Cultural Affairs in the state.
Election to the Chandrapur Lok Sabha seat in the Vidarbha region will be held on April 19.
The seat has remained vacant following the death of Suresh Dhanorkar (47), who passed away in May 2023 at a hospital in Gurgaon, where he was admitted following complications after a surgery to remove kidney stones.
Political analysts say that while Pratibha Dhanorkar is riding high on the sympathy wave, Mungantiwar, a political heavyweight, is banking on his development works and image.
Mungantiwar earlier represented the Chandrapur assembly constituency three times – in 1995, 1999 and 2004, while from 2009, he has been the MLA of Ballarpur assembly segment in the district.
Before Dhanorkar’s victory in 2019, BJP leader and former Union minister Hansraj Ahir had won the Chandrapur Lok Sabha twice.
Senior journalist and political observer from Chandrapur Sanjay Tayade said, “The fight in Chandrapur is being keenly watched in the country as it was the only seat in Maharashtra which was won by Congress by defeating BJP sitting MP. But BJP has made it matter of prestige and is eyeing to win it back. The importance that BJP has attached to this seat can be seen by the fact that PM Narendra Modi kick-started his Maharashtra campaign from Chandrapur.” Chandrapur has been a Congress bastion, as it won the seat 11 out of 18 times, while BJP could bag it only four times, he said.
“Mungantiwar is a political heavyweight and he has put out all his strength into this Lok Sabha election. He has been active in local politics since the last three decades. He is a very strong leader and hence it was expected that the election would be one-sided for him. However, the situation changed drastically. Dhanorkar has posed a huge challenge before him and this election has not remained easy for Mungantiwar,” he added.
“Mungantiwar is banking on development works initiated by him in the last 25 to 30 years and PM Modi’s charisma, while Dhanorkar is fighting on the sympathy wave after the untimely death of her husband,” Tayade said.
Caste equation is also a major factor, he said, adding that there are about 19 lakh voters in the district and Dhanorkar belongs to Kunbi community.
While 4.25 lakh voters belong to the Kunbi community, 3 lakh are Dalits, 1 lakh are from Teli community, 60,000 Muslims, 1.5 lakh Banjaras, among others.
Besides this, there is a little disappointment among the people over the joining of hands by rebel groups of NCP and Shiv Sena with the BJP, and whether it will have any impact on the voting will have to be seen, he said.
After the 2014 assembly polls, the government led by Devendra Fadnavis had taken a decision to ban liquor in Chandrapur district. The decision came after a sustained campaign for 10 years by Mungantiwar when he was part of the opposition benches.
“But imposing a liquor ban without strict implementation had a major impact on the economics of the district, and illegal liquor business flourished. Small businesses and real estate also suffered due to it. The BJP had to face the consequences and it lost the last Chandrapur Lok Sabha election,” Tayade said.
Also, the statements made by Mungantiwar against Pratibha Dhanorkar on the issue of her gaining sympathy, were not liked by the people, and this factor also may work against his party, he added.
BJP’s Chandrapur city unit chief Rahul Pawade said Mungantiwar is a popular leader who is known for his work and rapport with the people.
“The development carried out by Mungantiwar and the promises fulfilled by PM Modi will go in favour of BJP in Chandrapur. The rival candidate has no work to showcase, hence is playing the sympathy card. Mungantiwar is a development-centric person and people will not go for the sympathy factor or caste equations and will vote for him,” he said.
Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) general secretary Vinod Dattatraya, however, expressed confidence that his party would win the election as various local as well as national factors will be there on the mind of people when they cast their votes.
“The use of the non-civilised language by Mungantiwar against Pratibha Dhanorkar and Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi has not gone down well with the people,” he said.
“Chandrapur is the only seat in Maharashtra that was won by Congress in 2019. Liquor ban imposed in Chandrapur was a major issue that impacted the local economy. There is anti-incumbency and people are fed up with inflation and witnessing the misuse of central agencies,” he said.
Dhanorkar is seeking votes not on the basis of sympathy, but by citing the work carried out by her husband and she will win the polls, he said. PTI CLS COR NP
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