BJP vs Sena (UBT) fight expected in Pune’s Kothrud constituency
The BJP had to struggle in the constituency at the last assembly election as the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) candidate garnered second highest votes and came very close to sitting MLA Chandrakant Patil
Kothrud assembly segment on the western part of the city was considered among the safest for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) even as the situation may be different this time considering the change in political canvas across the state.
The BJP had to struggle in the constituency at the last assembly election as the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) candidate garnered second highest votes and came very close to sitting MLA Chandrakant Patil.
In 2019, Patil shifted to safe-and-secure Kothrud assembly constituency. He was the state unit president. But the opposition parties created the narrative that by replacing the then sitting MLA Medha Kulkarni, a Brahmin candidate, with Patil, the saffron party has done injustice to the community that has sizeable population in the Kothrud constituency.
Local versus outsider issue also gained spotlight as Patil hails from Kolhapur. Patil won the polls, but the margin reduced.
This time, learning lessons of previous election, Patil has worked hard and increased his base and connectivity strongly in the last five years.
He is again keen to contest from Kothrud even as another candidate from Baner and Balewadi area Amol Balwadkar too has expressed interest. Sandip Khardekar, who works closely with Patil, has also shown his ticket aspiration but Patil is considered a front-runner given his proximity to BJP leadership such as Amit Shah.
Meanwhile, to make a change in Kothrud, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is likely to give the seat to the Shiv Sena (UBT).
Sena’s former MLA Chandrakant Mokate and Prithviraj Sutar have expressed their will to contest and have started campaign.
Raj Thackeray-led MNS too has already announced to contest the election solo with Kishor Shinde as likely candidate.
Traditionally, Kothrud is the bastion of saffron party. Earlier, it was with Sena alliance, and in 2014, BJP won the polls as all parties entered the fray separately.
In 2014, BJP’s Medha Kulkarni won from the constituency.
As maximum citizens from Narayan Peth and Sadashiv Peth shifted to Kothrud areas, it is a Brahmin dominated constituency followed by the Maratha community.
The Congress and Nationalist Congress Party never got success in the constituency. NCP city unit president Deepak Mankar is from the constituency and is likely to support Patil. Mankar has good public support at Kalewadi area.
Balwadkar said, “I am young and working hard for BJP since 2014. I have my own vote bank along with party’s public support. Even as a local candidate, I have good connect with voters. After the Lok Sabha election, the voter mood has changed and it is important to win from all seats. If the party will give me chance, I will definitely succeed.”
Patil did not respond for comment despite many phone calls.
Khardekar said, “Patil has worked hard in the last five years and helped many families during the Covid pandemic. We will all work together once BJP decides the candidate.”
Mokate said, “I represented Kothrud but lost the polls in 2014 due to the Modi wave. In 2019, we aligned with BJP and worked hard.”
Sutar said, “If the party would pick me, I will work hard to win the polls. In 2019, BJP won by a slight margin. Even in the recent Lok Sabha polls, Murlidhar Mohol got only 75,000 votes.”
MNS entering the fray will lead to split of votes.
Kothrud has become the power centre of Pune city. MP and minister of state for civil aviation Mohol and Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni represents the constituency. Patil is a cabinet minister in Maharashtra government. The party’s senior leader and former minister Prakash Javadekar used to live in this assembly constituency.