Maharashtra: High-stakes battle in Latur Rural; will BJP spring surprise in this Congress bastion?

A high-stakes political showdown is set to unfold in the Latur Rural assembly constituency in central Maharashtra, where the ruling BJP aims to unseat the Congress. Among the 18 candidates vying for the seat, the primary contest is shaping up between Congress MLA Dheeraj Deshmukh, son of former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, and BJP MLC Ramesh Karad. However, candidates from the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have added colour to the fight.

In a twist from the 2019 elections, the BJP has claimed the Latur Rural seat as part of the ruling Mahayuti coalition, fielding Karad to challenge Deshmukh's hold. Karad, who previously hoped for a BJP ticket, missed out in 2019 when the seat was given to Shiv Sena as part of a seat-sharing arrangement. 

The Shiv Sena candidate, Sachin Deshmukh, ran a low-key campaign, which allowed Dheeraj Deshmukh to win comfortably by a margin of 1,35,006 votes. Notably, the NOTA (None of the Above) option took the second-highest tally with 27,500 votes, reflecting discontent among voters at the time.

Deshmukh has since hit the campaign trail, actively meeting with constituents across Zilla Parishad and panchayat samiti circles. His primary challenger, Karad, is also working to mobilise the BJP base in hopes of capturing this Congress stronghold.

Adding to the dynamics are MNS candidate Santosh Nagargoje and VBA's Dr Vijay Ajnikar, whose presence has energised the contest. Nagargoje has been engaging directly with voters in rural areas and has reportedly gained support from local communities. Meanwhile, Ajnikar has been conducting corner meetings and engaging with voters to make his case. Although both candidates are drawing attention, political observers expect the main fight to be between Deshmukh and Karad.

The Latur Rural constituency, covering Renapur tehsil, much of Latur tehsil, and parts of Ausa, has been a Congress bastion since 2009. Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange initially announced plans to field a candidate but later withdrew, declaring he would not support any candidate.

In the Lok Sabha elections, Congress secured a lead in Latur City and Latur Rural. 

As polling day approaches, the BJP is pushing hard to challenge Congress's dominance in Latur Rural. With the fielding of Karad and the active campaigning by opposition candidates, it remains to be seen if the BJP can spring a surprise in this Congress stronghold.

(With inputs from PTI)