Is Anil Deshmukh, former home minister of Maharashtra and senior leader of the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), planning to contest the Assembly elections against deputy Chief Minister (CM) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis from Nagpur South-West constituency? Sources say it is possible.
The past few days have seen an intense battle of allegations and counter-allegations between the two leaders.
Deshmukh, who is out on bail in a corruption case filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), has been attacking Fadnavis, alleging he pressured him to implicate other leaders of the Opposition alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the case.
According to Deshmukh, a person approached him to implicate four former ministers of the MVA government, including then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, failing which, he was told he would face arrest. Deshmukh alleged that this person was sent by Fadnavis.
THE NAGPUR SOUTH-WEST SEAT
The Nagpur South-West seat is traditionally held by the Congress, but according to sources, the Congress leadership is ready to exchange it with NCP (SP) if Deshmukh agrees to contest. Local Congress leader Praful Gudhge is interested in contesting against Fadnavis, and for the past two-three years, he has been active in this constituency. According to party workers who spoke to News18 on condition of anonymity, “Senior Congress leader and former Cabinet Minister Sunil Kedar is very active in the Nagpur South-West constituency. He is helping Praful Gudhge contest against Fadnavis. Kedar recently lost his membership in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly as he was arrested in an old bank fraud case. He is out on bail.”
Sources said that Deshmukh is keen to contest against Fadnavis. If this happens, Deshmukh will become the third person from his family to contest against Fadnavis. In 2004, former Cabinet Minister and Deshmukh’s brother, Ranjit, had contested against Fadnavis and was defeated. Then, in the last state assembly polls, his son, Ashish, had contested against Fadnavis and lost. Currently, Ashish is in the BJP. According to sources in the BJP, Deshmukh levelled these allegations against Fadnavis to gain traction so that it becomes easier for him to enter the constituency and start his preparations.
The sources also indicated that Deshmukh has already started his preparations for the assembly polls and is in talks with the party high command to negotiate for the Nagpur South-West seat, likely vacating his traditional seat of Katole for his son Salil, who has been active since Deshmukh was arrested in the corruption cases. In the absence of Deshmukh, Salil has been seen meeting people in the constituency and attending party meetings at the party headquarters in Mumbai.
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