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The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi are facing multiple problems in Lok Sabha seats like Sangli, Madha and Satara in western Maharashtra due to political dynasties, old rivalries and one-upmanship, prompting a flurry of meetings before five phase polls begin in the state on April 19.
In Sangli, a Congress stronghold from 1962 to 2014 before NCP-turned-BJP leader Sanjaykaka Patil wrested it in 2014, the grand old party is seemingly getting short-changed by the decades-old rivalry between Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar chief Sharad Pawar and former state chief minister late Vasantdada Patil, a political observer claimed.
Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole announced the name of Vishal Patil for Sangli seat some days ago, but Uddhav Thackeray, chief of ally Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray, unilaterally declared wrestler Chandrahar Patil as his party's candidate.
Vishal Patil is a descendent of former Maharashtra chief minister Vasantdada Patil, against whom NCP founder Sharad Pawar rebelled and got the state's top post in 1978, due to which the two families have been adversaries, the political observer added.
"In 2019, there was large-scale disappointment against BJP MP Sanjaykaka Patil and Sharad Pawar was aware of it. But due to this political rivalry, Pawar convinced the state Congress leaders to give Sangli Lok Sabha seat to Swabhimani Paksha, a little-known party in the region. Vishal Patil, who was supposed to be fight on a Congress ticket, had to contest on the lesser known Swabhimani Paksh symbol (cricket bat) and lost. But, he still got three lakh votes against Sanjakaka's five lakh," a close aide of Vishal Patil said.
"This time, Shiv Sena-UBT, which used to have only one MLA, has already announced its candidate without consulting Congress. Such steps mean giving a cake-walk to the BJP candidate," the aide claimed.
Defending Thackeray's move, Shiv Sena-UBT leader Sanjay Raut said his party had won both Lok Sabha seats in Kolhapur district in 2019.
"We gave both seats, Kolhapur and Hatkanangale, to Congress and farmer leader Raju Shetti, respectively. Now, if we don't fight from Sangli, we will not have any seat in western Maharashtra," Raut said.
In Satara, the ruling BJP and NCP are facing issues due to the problem between Udayanraje Bhosale, a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
Bhosale won the seat in 2019 on a NCP ticket and then lost the bypolls after he switched to the BJP. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha but is keen to contest again.
However, the Ajit Pawar-led NCP has laid claim to the seat and is fine with Bhosale contesting on its 'clock' symbol.
"Bhosale, who has not been on good terms with Ajit Pawar, is not keen on this arrangement as this would mean accepting the Deputy CM's leadership. Secondly, traditional BJP voters will not vote for him. Moreover, as an NCP candidate, Bhosale would lose the protection of the mighty BJP," the political observer added.
In Madha Lok Sabha seat, which comprises four assembly segments from Solapur and two from Satara, there is a tussle for dominance between various political dynasties, leaving the BJP confused.
The prominent Ramraje Nimbalkar family from the Phaltan assembly segment in Satara district and Vijaysinh Mohite Patil family from the Malshiras assembly seat in Solapur have expressed their displeasure over BJP giving sitting MP Ranjitsinh Naik Nimbalkar a ticket.
Ramraje is currently a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council from Ajit Pawar-led NCP, while Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil's son Ranjitsinh is a BJP MLC.
A video of Ramraje Naik-Nimbalkar addressing a gathering, in which he is pitching for change in candidate, has gone viral. Other moves in the run up to the polls included Jayant Patil of the Peasant and Workers Party, which has a strong base in Sangola (part of Madha LS seat), meeting Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil.
Jayant Patil later told reporters the result of Madha may be 'surprising'.
Unfazed, Ranjitsinh Naik-Nimbalkar claimed he was trying to build a consensus and was confident of people's support.
The BJP also has its share of worries because the Mohite-Patil family, which has long-standing ties with the Congress and then with the NCP since its inception, is now discontent with the ruling party, the political observer added.
He claimed the family, in order to maintain control over the district, is thinking of jumping back to the NCP-SP.
Sharad Pawar recently met Vijaysinh Mohite Patil, the political observer pointed out.
"Moreover, some segments of voters believe Madha seat has four assembly segments from Solapur and, hence, the candidate should be from the district," he said.
"It reflects the BJP's failure to groom leadership in the region despite being in power for 10 years. The BJP in the early years used to denounce such political dynasties like the Mohite-Patils of Solapur or Naik-Nimbalkars of Phaltan Satara," senior political observer Prakash Akolkar of Mumbai said.
"BJP used to criticise the Congress. Now such families are with the BJP and the party leadership is dragging itself behind them," he said.