Maharashtra Politics: Third Generation of Sharad Pawar Family Breaks Vikhe Patil Stronghold in Ahmednagar
Ahmednagar, 6th June 2024: The third generation of the Sharad Pawar family has played a pivotal role in breaking the Vikhe Patil stronghold in Ahmednagar, intensifying the long-standing rivalry between the two political families.
NCP (SCP) candidate Nilesh Lanke defeated BJP MP Sujay Vikhe Patil, son of Revenue Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and grandson of the late Balasaheb Vikhe Patil, by a margin of 28,929 votes. According to the poll results, Rohit Pawar, the grandnephew of Sharad Pawar and MLA from Karjat Jamkhed, mobilized 41,841 more votes for Lanke from his assembly segment and neighboring Shrigonda than Sujay.
Historically, in their days with Congress, Sharad Pawar and Balasaheb Vikhe Patil, an eight-time MP, were embroiled in a tussle for control over the region’s sugarcane cooperative societies. It was allegedly due to Sharad Pawar’s tactics that Balasaheb was denied a ticket to contest the 1991 Lok Sabha elections, leading Balasaheb to run independently and lose to Congress’s Tukaram Gadakh.
When the NCP split, Lanke aligned with Ajit Pawar. Initially not considered for the parliamentary polls and preparing for the assembly election, Lanke was identified by Sharad Pawar for his potential and strong network. Sharad Pawar eventually brought him over from his nephew’s faction.
At one of his rallies, Sharad Pawar claimed that Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil had sent messages through a common friend, urging him not to field Lanke against his son. Radhakrishna admitted during the campaign that “the fight in Ahmednagar is between BJP and Sharad Pawar.”
“Lanke needed support in Shrigonda and Karjat Jamkhed, which he received from Rohit,” said Rahul Khamkar, a close supporter of Lanke. Lanke, previously the Shiv Sena president in Parner tehsil, had strong connections with people in Shrigonda, enabling him to establish a network among young voters in villages. “The combined power of Rohit and Lanke was decisive, as he gained a lead of over 32,000 votes in Shrigonda,” Khamkar added.
Meanwhile, Sujay Vikhe Patil relied on the support of BJP MLA Babanrao Pachpute and focused on Karjat Jamkhed to mitigate losses. However, Sujay lost over 9,000 votes in Karjat Jamkhed and failed to secure the BJP’s core base in Shrigonda, according to a BJP leader.
Additionally, Sujay’s comments on Lanke’s inability to speak fluent English and Hindi backfired. Sujay had remarked, “One should know how to speak in English or Hindi to raise issues in Parliament. I challenge my opponent (Lanke) to speak fluently in these two languages. I am ready to give him a month.”
Vinayak Pandhare, a campaigner for Lanke, noted, “Sujay’s remark highlighted his elite upbringing. How many people in villages speak English? This also damaged the BJP, especially in the Parner assembly segment.”
The combined efforts of Rohit Pawar and Nilesh Lanke proved instrumental in overcoming the Vikhe Patil stronghold, marking a significant shift in the political landscape of Ahmednagar.
