Maharashtra Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Voting for Nagpur, Ramtek, 3 other seats in Phase-1

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Five Lok Sabha seats of Maharashtra are going to polls in the first phase on April 19. The western state, which has 48 seats, is expected to see a bipolar contest - between the NDA and MVA - in most constituencies. Prakash Ambedkar's Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), which was earlier trying to be part of the MVA (Maha Vikas Aghadi) but talks fell over seat-sharing, has also fielded some candidates, making it a three-cornered fight on some seats.

In the first phase, five seats in the easternmost parts are up for grabs - Nagpur, Ramtek, Bhandara-Gondia, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli-Chimur. Of these five, the NDA had won 4 seats in 2019, when BJP was in alliance with undivided Shiv Sena headed by Uddhav Thackeray. This time, Uddhav Thackeray is part of the MVA bloc, comprising Congress and Sharad Pawar-led NCP (Nationalist Congress Party).

This time, the BJP is in alliance with Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP.

Nagpur: In the high-profile Nagpur seat, the contest is between BJP's Nitin Gadkari and Congress leader Vikas Thakare, sitting MLA from Nagpur West. Even though Gadkari has won from Nagpur, the RSS bastion, twice with over 50 per cent votes, some political analysts say the Congress may put up a tough fight this time.

Chandrapur: In Chandrapur, BJP leader and Maharashtra minister Sudhir Mungantiwar is up against Congress' Pratibha Dhanorkar, wife of late Suresh Dhanorkar who was the lone Congress MP elected to the Lok Sabha from Maharashtra in 2019. Dhanorkar passed away last year. In 2019, Dhanorkar had defeated BJP's Hansraj Gangaram Ahir by 45,000 votes. Here, the VBA has fielded Rajesh Warluji Bele.

Bhandara-Gondia: In the Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha constituency, the BJP has fielded sitting MP Sunil Mendhe against Dr Prashant Patole of Congress. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the saffron party had won this seat by nearly 2 lakh votes.

Gadchiroli-Chimur: Two-time BJP MP Ashok Nete is facing Congress' Namdev Kirsan in Gadchiroli-Chimur. In 2019, Nete won this seat by defeating Congress leader Namdeo Usendi by nearly 80,000 votes. VBA's Ramesh Gajabe had also secured 1.1 lakh votes (9.75%). This time also, the VBA has fielded its candidate, Hitesh Pandurang Madavi.

Ramtek: In Ramtek, the contest is between Congress leader Shyamkumar Barwe and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena's Raju Parwe. In the last elections, undivided Shiv Sena's Krupal Tumane had won the seat by securing 594,827 votes (49.90%). Congress leader Kishore Uttamrao Gajbhiye settled with 4,68,738 votes (39.30%).

Maharashtra's state electoral office said five assembly segments (spread across two LS seats) will vote between 7 am and 3 pm, unlike other areas where voters can exercise their franchise until 6 pm.

"The assembly segments of Amgaon, Armori, Gadchiroli and Aheri (Gadchiroli-Chimur Lok Sabha constituency) and Arjune Morgaon (Bhandara-Gondia LS seat) will have voting between 7 am and 3 pm. This decision has been taken because most of the voting booths in these segments are located in remote locations, and the region is known for Naxalite activities," said a poll official.

Gadchiroli-Chimur, where some parts are affected by Naxal insurgency, is considered the largest parliamentary constituency in Maharashtra, mainly because its remote villages are separated by vast dense forest regions.

This Lok Sabha constituency consists of the Amgaon assembly segment from Gondia district, Armori, Gadchiroli, and Aheri segments from Gadchiroli district, and Bramhapuri and Chimur segments from Chandrapur district.

(With inputs from PTI)