After Ajit Pawar remark, all eyes on Shirur seat; ex-MP Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil says he will contest

In what could lead to potential discord among the ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra, the NCP (Ajit Pawar) faction and the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) faction are keen on contesting the Shirur Lok Sabha seat.

Patil told The Indian Express that he started his preparations from the very next day after he lost the elections in 2019. (Photo/X/@MPShivajirao)

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s statement on defeating MP Amol Kolhe has shifted the spotlight on the Shirur Lok Sabha seat, which could witness discord among the ruling Mahayuti alliance. While Kolhe belongs to the Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), former Shirur MP Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil, who belongs to the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena, has also declared his candidature for the seat.

Spread across Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad and Pune Rural, the Shirur Lok Sabha constituency was wrested by NCP’s Kolhe from Patil, who was representing an undivided Shiv Sena then. Patil, who has represented this seat twice, has strong grassroots connections. He had won the seat in 2004 when it was called Khed defeating NCP’s Ashok Mohol. The undivided NCP had subsequently made it a personal point to defeat him.

Patil told The Indian Express that he started his preparations from the very next day after he lost the elections in 2019. “I will contest the elections and my party leaders know about this,” he said, refusing to comment on Pawar’s statement vowing to ensure Kolhe’s defeat.

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Pawar’s statement comes even before seat-sharing talks have begun among the alliance partners – BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) and NCP (Ajit Pawar). For Pawar, the seat is important as it is spread across Pune district, which has been his home territory.

Soon after the NCP split, the breakaway faction staked its claim on 13-15 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra. The undivided NCP had won Shirur, Satara and Raigad seats. While Raigad MP Sunil Tatkare has thrown in his hat with Pawar junior, minister Dilip Walse-Patil represents Ambegaon constituency, which falls under Shirur.

“All parties have the right to claim seats but a final decision will be taken when the three senior leaders sit together and decide. That meeting is yet to happen,” a leader from the Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena said.

Parthasarathi Biswas

Partha Sarathi Biwas is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express with 10+ years of experience in reporting on Agriculture, Commodities and Developmental issues. He has been with The Indian Express since 2011 and earlier worked with DNA. Partha's report about Farmers Producer Companies (FPC) as well long pieces on various agricultural issues have been cited by various academic publications including those published by the Government of India. He is often invited as a visiting faculty to various schools of journalism to talk about development journalism and rural reporting. In his spare time Partha trains for marathons and has participated in multiple marathons and half marathons. ... Read More

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