BJP likely to repeat its performance

North Nagpur is a very vibrant and mixed kind of constituency. Over the period of years this constituency belonged to Republican Party of India. Gradually, Congress started winning. Bhartiya Janata Party too stood victorious through Bhola Badhel. Then Dr Nitin Raut took over and continued winning till 2014. In 2014 it was Dr Milind Mane of BJP who won the election. BJP is likely to repeat its performance this time too for two reasons---1. the developmental works done by Dr Mane and 2. Clean and man next door image of Dr Mane. Adv Suryakant Dongre of Republican Party of India (Khobragade) consistently won this seat. Later on Damayanti Deshbhratar of Congress won this seat and broke the winning journey of RPI (K). In next election again RPI (K) grabbed the seat from Congress.

RPI (K) candidate Upendra Shende stood winner. In 1995 there was a wave of BJP and its Bhola Badhel won the election defeating Upendra Shende. This is for the first time that BJP won North Nagpur which remained a stronghold of Congress and RPI. From 1999, the era of Dr Nitin Raut began. Like East Nagpur where Satish Chaturvedi established his name, Dr Raut became uncrowned king of North Nagpur. He won 1999, 2004 and 2009 elections. In fact he was Minister in the Maharashtra State Ministry. It was he who had brought Dr Ambedkar Hospital and Government Engineering College. In 2014, BJP fielded Dr Milind Mane, a person with a clean image and liked by all communities. A smiling personality Dr Mane is very simple person. He had two strong opponents in the form former IAS officer Kishor Gajbhiye from Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Dr Nitin Raut from Congress (three time winner).

Surprisingly Dr Raut thrown on number three and Dr Mane won the election. Dr Mane did not lose his touch of his constituency. He did several works in this constituency. Some of them include a library-cum-community centre, Panchavati Nagar library, a swimming pool and outdoor sports facilities at Vaishali Nagar for Rs 10 crore; two sports complexes at Ahuja Nagar and Automotive Square costing Rs 13.50 crore; first ever digital library at Lashkaribagh costing Rs 8 crore; and two libraries at Patankar Square and Vinobha Bhave Nagar. There is one more big project worth Rs 130 crore called as Ambedkar Convention Centre. Dr Mane kept working silently. His opponents alleged that in Lok Sabha elections Nitin Gadkari could not get the good lead in North Nagpur which is not a good sign.

But according to politician pundits, the Assembly elections are fought with different perspectives. All the equations are totally different. Dr Raut’s candidature was challenged by his own partymen. A big group had met Balasaheb Thorat, State Congress President during his Nagpur visit and requested him not to give ticket to Dr Raut. The corporators Manoj Sangole, Sandip Sahare have even come forward and expressed their willingness to contest as an Independent if Dr Raut was given the ticket. Of course the picture may not remain same once the nominations are filed. In BJP too Dharmpal Meshram, the Corporator had appeared for the interview and staked his claim for the candidature from North Nagpur. Meshram, a vibrant and young political leader is trying hard to present himself. Another young boy Kartik Larokar too is an aspirant of contesting elections. He is meeting senior leaders and presenting himself.