BJP fields Udayanraje Bhosale from Satara seat to take on NCP SP nominee Shashikant Shinde

Mumbai: BJP has fielded Chhatrapati Shivaji’s descendent and Rajya Sabha MP Chhatrapati Udayanraje Bhosale from Satara Lok Sabha constituency in Western Maharashtra.

BJP during seat-sharing talks with NCP led by Ajit Pawar has bagged the Satara seat in its quota.

NCP in turn got the Dharashiv seat in Marathwada where the party has fielded former BJP leader Archana Patil against Shiv Sena UBT MP Omraje Nimbalkar.

Udayanraje had represented Satara seat in the 2009, 2014 and 2019 on the NCP (undivided) ticket.

However, in the 2019 by-elections Udayanraje, who had contested as the BJP, lost to NCP (undivided) nominee and former bureaucrat Srinivas Patil.

Udayanraje had got 548903 votes against 636620 votes polled by Patil.

Of the six assembly segments in the Satara Lok Sabha seat, BJP holds Satara while Karad South by Congress, Karad North (NCP SP), Koregaon and Patan (Shiv Sena) and Wai by Ajit Pawar-led NCP.

BJP proposes to ride on the PM Modi wave and ‘Modi ki guarantee’ and also on MahaYuti’s collective strength.

Udayanraje, who will face a direct contest from NCP-SP nominee and legislator Shashikant Shinde, is expected to file his nomination papers soon as the last date is slated for April 19.

The polling in Satara is slated for May 7.

Incidentally, Shinde, who is also a Mathadi Workers’ Union leader, has already filed his nomination papers on Monday by putting up a massive show of strength in the presence of party chief Sharad Pawar, former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and state NCP SP Chief Jayant Patil.