Popularly often called the sugar bowl of the state, western Maharashtra, agriculturally wealthy and with a powerful cooperative base, has all the time performed an necessary position in Maharashtra politics. The area has been dominated for lengthy by Congress and NCP, which management the cooperative sector, be it cooperative sugar factories, cotton mills, dairy and agriculture produce, credit score societies or banks. The area can be a favorite vacation spot for the auto, IT and agriculture business.
The area includes 5 districts — Pune, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur and Solapur, which fall in Pune income division with its headquarters in Pune metropolis. The area is unfold over 58,268 sqkm with a inhabitants of two.34 crore and literacy price of 77 per cent, as per 2011 census.
The principle crops of the area are jowar, wheat, bajra, sugarcane, rice, soyabean, onion, groundnut, greens, turmeric, grape and pomegranate. The belt is essentially the most developed and populous within the state, fuelled by industrial development and academic institutes.
It additionally holds significance because of historic causes as Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji was born and introduced up within the area. He led the formation of Maratha empire Swarajya and its growth past Maharashtra by taking up the Mughals. The direct descendents of the Maratha king are holding the thrones in Kolhapur and Satara. This area can be well-known for the reformers Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule. The area made a big contribution to the liberty battle with Pune serving as a centre for a lot of freedom fighters, together with Lokmanya Balgangadhar Tilak, Gopal Ganesh Agarkar and Gopal Krishna Gokhale, amongst others.
Of the 19 chief ministers because the formation of the state in 1960, 5 have come from western Maharashtra — Yashwantrao Chavan from Satara, Vasantdada Patil from Sangli, Sharad Pawar from Pune, Sushilkumar Shinde from Solapur and Prithviraj Chavan from Satara. Present Chief Minister Eknath Shinde represents Thane district however his native place is in Satara district.
Western Maharashtra has 10 Lok Sabha constituencies — Maval, Pune, Baramati, Shirur, Satara, Solapur, Madha, Sangli, Kolhapur and Hatkanangle.
Modi wave ends Cong-NCP dominance
The Congress-NCP dominated politics in western Maharashtra by successful eight of the ten seats in 2004. NCP was the foremost gainer successful 5 seats adopted by Congress with two seats and one by RPI(A). Shiv Sena and BJP had been capable of win just one seat every regardless of contesting in an alliance.
In 2009, the Congress-NCP collectively received six seats with three every. Shiv Sena received two seats whereas BJP didn’t make inroads in western Maharashtra. It was throughout the Modi wave in 2014 that BJP had a breakthrough within the area because it received three seats whereas its alliance accomplice Shiv Sena retained its two seats. However NCP was the dominant occasion successful 4 seats whereas Congress confronted a whitewash. The saffron mix along with Swambhimani Shetkari Sanghatana of Raju Shetti for the primary time received six of the ten seats and made a dent within the Congress-NCP bastion. The Modi wave continued its dominance in 2019 with the saffron alliance successful seven seats: BJP 4 and Shiv Sena three. NCP received three seats. Congress continued to attain a duck for the second consecutive election.
2024 guarantees to be totally different
In 2024, it guarantees to be a struggle for each single seat between all the foremost gamers. That is exemplified by the Baramati Lok Sabha seat, the place NCP led by Ajit Pawar has fielded Sunetra Pawar, who till now remained within the shadows of her husband and was not even identified to ship political speeches. BJP desires to desperately win Baramati as a part of its “Mission Maharashtra-45 seats”.
Ajit Pawar, who’s eyeing the chief ministerial berth, desires so as to add weight to his declare by successful Baramati. He desires to unseat none aside from his cousin Supriya Sule.
Sule has received the seat thrice however for the primary time finds herself in the course of an unlikely battle: Pawar versus Pawar.
Like Baramati, in Pune, Shirur, Satara, Solapur and Madha, the political warmth is rising. In Pune metropolis, Congress has fallen again on Ravindra Dhangekar, who received for the occasion the celebrated Kasba Peth Meeting seat. The occasion had the temptation of fielding the likes of Vasant Extra, who stop MNS and sought its ticket. Congress believes Dhangekar will restore the occasion’s glory as soon as once more and assist revitalise it.
BJP too has upped the ante after its “mistake” in Kasba Peth. It has introduced former Pune mayor Murlidhar Mohol to tackle Dhangekar. Each Dhangekar and Mohol had been corporators and can all of the sudden discover themselves on the massive platform the place they must show their mettle.
In Hatkanangle, Uddhav Sena has made a tactical transfer after Dhairyasheel Mane, sitting MP, jumped to Shinde Sena. It has determined to help Raju Shetti, the farmer chief who misplaced within the 2019 elections.
In Solapur, whereas BJP is struggling to discover a substitute for its sitting MP, Congress after two stable drubbings within the final elections has gone again to the Shinde household. However this time the extra aggressive Shinde household face is to the fore. The occasion has fielded Praniti Shinde, who was being desperately pursued by BJP. Praniti is thought for aggressively elevating the event problems with Solapur, a district the place BJP has by no means been capable of put its home so as.
In Maval, Shiv Sena, BJP and NCP are at odds with one another. All three are looking for to contest the seat, which has prompted loads of bitterness among the many alliance companions. “The Mahayuti is totally divided, we’ve got an opportunity to win the seat,” mentioned Sena (UBT)’s Sanjay Raut. The occasion has fielded former NCP chief Sanjog Waghere from the seat.
In Kolhapur, MVA has provide you with a technique to checkmate Mahayuti. It has fielded Shahu Maharaj Chhatrapati, the royal household head of Kolhapur. He might be contesting on a Congress ticket. The occasion might be contesting the seat for the primary time since 1999. Mahayuti is prone to renominate Sanjay Mandalik from Shiv Sena.
Shirur saw a bitter dispute between Shinde Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP. Each needed to contest the seat. Whereas Ajit Pawar claimed its candidate had received final time, Shinde Sena argued the occasion has been successful the seat consecutively. BJP then effected a patch-up. Accordingly, Adhalrao of Shinde Sena will contest on an NCP ticket. Ajit Pawar has taken it upon himself to defeat Amol Kolhe, the favored Marathi actor. His uncle Sharad Pawar has determined to steer the marketing campaign himself in Shirur.
Sangli seat has prompted fissures between Uddhav Sena and Congress. Each have declared their candidates. The row has gone to the Congress excessive command. BJP, then again, has refielded Sanjay Kaka Patil. In Satara, Udayanraje Bhosale, descendant of Chhatrapti Shivaji Maharaj, who was defeated within the 2019 elections by Srinivas Patil of NCP, is bent upon once more contesting the election. BJP is attempting to pacify him by attempting to subject him on a ticket of Ajit Pawar-led NCP. Udayanraje has, nevertheless, refused.