CHOICE of candidate has become a big headache for all political parties in Katol Assembly constituency. Anil Deshmukh of Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) is seen as the top contender for the Maha Vikas Aaghadi. However, there is also talk that the former home minister would opt for South West Nagpur handing over the baton to son Salil Deshmukh. All parties have kept their fingers crossed. The constituency was mostly dominated by Congress or allies mostly by Deshmukhs, Shindes, since 1962, when the first Assembly election in Maharashtra were held. In 2009 as a part of alliance between Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Kiran Pandav got the ticket as Sena member. Expressing unhappiness over this development, Charan Singh Thakur contested on RPI (A) ticket and stood second as Anil Deshmukh won the election by a huge margin of 32,203 votes.

 

 

The dominance of Congress ended in 2014. Riding the Modi wave, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Dr Ashish Deshmukh won the election defeating uncle Anil Deshmukh by a margin of 5,557 votes. Ashish secured 70,344 votes while Anil Deshmukh could clinch 64,787 votes. In 2019, the picture was altogether different. Ashish Deshmukh rejoined Congress and BJP pitted Charan Singh Thakur against Anil Deshmukh. Deshmukh registered victory by a margin of 17,057 votes. For BJP, the choice of candidate is a big challenge. Thakur has advantage over both Deshmukhs. He stays in Katol and local people feel Thakur will be in a better position to resolve their issues. But Thakur is still not considered as winning material.

 

Dr Ashish Deshmukh has an edge over Thakur on several counts. Ashish can match caste equation plus he and his father Ranjit Deshmukh have their roots in this constituency. He also has advantage in Narkhed segment where Abhijit Gupta controls the Narkhed Municipal Council. Anil Deshmukh has been winning the election here since 1995 and served it for four consecutive terms. Despite biting dust in 2019, he has kept visiting the constituency and raised several issues. His connect with the people can prove advantageous. BJP’s new formula of MADHAV (wooing Mali Dhangar and Vanjara) is likely to work as Vanjara Samaj has 7,000 votes in this constituency. The Mahayuti Government has assured Vanjaras of providing them their rights. But BJP has one more headache. NCP (Ajit Pawar) is demanding ticket from Katol with claimants like Subodh Mohite, former Union Minister, Naresh Arsade and Satish Shinde, son of ex-MLA Sunil Shinde. Whether BJP leaves the seat for NCP or chooses its own candidate remains to be seen.