Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address an election rally at Chandrapur on April 8 at 5 pm. This will be his first poll campaign rally in Maharashtra for the Lok Sabha elections. His second rally in the State will also be held in Vidarbha, at Kanhan in Nagpur district on April 10. Modi will reach Nagpur at 4 pm on April 8 and proceed to Chandrapur by helicopter.

 

At Kanhan, he will address a rally at Brooke Bond ground, near police station at 3 pm on April 10. In both the rallies of the Prime Minister, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, State BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Working President of Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar) Praful Patel, People’s Republican Party President Jogendra Kawade, Bahujan Republican Ekta Manch President Adv Sulekha Kumbhare will remain present. Modi’s campaign rally at Chandrapur will be for three Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates — Ramdas Tadas (Wardha), Sudhir Mungantiwar (Chandrapur) and Ashok Nete (Gadchiroli-Chimur). At Kanhan, the rally will be the part of campaign for three seats of Mahayuti — two of BJP — Nitin Gadkari (Nagpur), and Sunil Mendhe (Bhandara-Gondia), and Raju Parve of Shinde Shiv Sena (Ramtek). The elections for five seats in East Vidarbha region will take place on April 19. The constituencies those are going to polls on April 19 include Nagpur, Ramtek, Bhandara-Gondia, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli-Chimur. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari is the BJP candidate for Nagpur Lok Sabha constituency.

 

Congress has fielded Nagpur West MLA Vikas Thakre against Gadkari. In Chandrapur, sitting MLA of Ballarpur and Minister of Forests Sudhir Mungantiwar is in the fray along with Congress’ Pratibha Dhanorkar, wife of late Balu Dhanorkar who won the seat in 2019. Dhanorkar was the lone Congress candidate winning from entire Maharashtra giving solace to the party. At Bhandara-Gondia, BJP’s sitting MP Sunil Mendhe will be contesting again against Congress candidate Dr Prashant Padole. In Gadchiroli-Chimur Lok Sabha constituency, BJP keeping faith on Ashok Nete repeated him for fourth time. Congress fielded a novice Namdeo Kirsan. A formidable leader of Gadchiroli of Congress Dr Namdeo Usendi left the party and joined BJP. It is a major blow to Congress as Dr Usendi twice pitted against Nete securing solid votes. In Ramtek, Shiv Sena (Shinde) changed its candidate sitting MP Krupal Tumane and brought Umred Congress MLA Raju Parve. Parve resigned from Congress. Congress fielded Shyamrao Barve, a novice in the constituency.

 

Congress had fielded Rashmi Barve, ex-President of Zilla Parishad. But her nomination was rejected over caste validity. Shyamrao Barve is the husband of Rashmi Barve whose name was in the B Form. Kishore Gajbiye, senior Congress leader filed nomination as an Independent. Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi extended its support to Gajbhiye. Gajbhiye had contested in 2019 from Ramtek and given tough fight to Tumane. His candidature will make an impact especially on the votes of Barve. In Wardha, BJP has fielded Ramdas Tadas for third time while Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) (Sharad Pawar) got this seat in Maha Vikas Aaghadi. It has given candidature to Amar Kale. Kale was defeated by Dadarao Keche in 2019 Assembly polls from Arvi.