After trouncing Raosaheb Danve in LS election, MVA eyes to defeat his BJP MLA son in assembly poll

Jalna, Aug 14 (PTI) After former Union minister Raosaheb Danve lost this year's Lok Sabha election from Jalna parliamentary seat in Maharashtra, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi is eyeing to defeat his son and sitting BJP MLA Santosh Danve from the family's pocket borough Bhokardan seat in the district in the upcoming assembly polls.

Although the MVA's seat-sharing deal is yet to be finalised, two of its three partners - Congress and NCP (SP) - are keen on contesting from the constituency.

Elections to the 288-member assembly are likely to be held in October/November this year.

Santosh Danve is a two-time MLA from Bhokardan assembly constituency, which his father represented twice earlier before becoming a Member of Parliament.

In the recent Lok Sabha elections, Congress candidate Kalyan Kale defeated Raosaheb Danve.

Ramesh Chennithala, the Congress in-charge for Maharashtra, visited Bhokardan on Monday and urged party workers to work towards defeating Santosh Danve in the upcoming assembly elections by tapping the anti-incumbency sentiments among voters.

"As the Congress defeated Raosaheb Danve, we must now defeat his son in the upcoming assembly elections," he told the party workers.

Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief Nana Patole and Leader of Opposition in assembly Vijay Wadettiwar, who were also present there, echoed similar sentiments.

Though the seat belongs to the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction), the Congress has staked its claim. Both the Congress and the NCP are eyeing the seat and are determined to defeat the BJP.

District Congress president (Rural) Rajabhau Deshmukh was emerging as a strong contender for the party ticket.

City-district Congress president Shaikh Mahmood said that Deshmukh has demanded the party ticket.

"There is a prevailing anti-incumbency against Santosh Danve due to his absence in the constituency. He resides in Mumbai and spends little time in Bhokardan," he claimed.

"Our party has claimed the ticket, even though the seat-sharing formula of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is yet be decided," he said.

Congress' MVA partner Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) has also decided to throw its hat in the ring.

The party's district president Nisar Deshmukh, said, "The seat belongs to the NCP (SP), and we are determined to defeat Santosh Danve. People are fed up with this father-son duo." Former MLA Chandrakant Danve is an aspirant for the seat as an NCP (SP) candidate, party sources said.

A Maratha reservation activist said the quota issue is likely to impact the poll outcome in the constituency.

"The Maratha reservation issue played a crucial role in the BJP's loss in the Jalna Lok Sabha elections. The same is expected in the assembly polls," he said.

However, despite challenges, the BJP was optimistic about his party's victory.

"We are confident that the welfare schemes like Ladki Bahin Yojana and other initiatives by the Mahayuti government will work in our favour," BJP's district unit president Badrinath Pathade said.

"Raosaheb Danve, as a Union minister, and his son Santosh have carried out significant development works. We are confident of making a hat-trick in the upcoming elections" he said.

The Bhokardan constituency has been a BJP stronghold with the Danve family holding sway for decades. Raosaheb Danve was elected as MLA in 1990 and 1995 before transitioning to national politics. His son, Santosh Danve, continued the legacy by winning the seat in 2014 and 2019.

In a byelection in 2003, Raosaheb Danve was defeated by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate Chandrakant Danve. Chandrakant Danve went on to win the 2004 and 2009 assembly seats from here, even defeating Raosaheb's wife, Nirmala Danve, in 2009. It was only in 2014 and 2019 that Santosh Danve managed to reclaim the seat for the BJP. PTI COR NP