Citizen issues take a backseat in Shirur as old rivals fight with new symbols
However, with battle lines have been drawn clearly, a more personalised clash will be witnessed in Shirur amid citizens’ issues taking a backseat
The clash for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in Shirur is between old rivals who are fighting with a new symbol. On one hand, sitting MP and NCP (SCP) leader Amol Kolhe is contesting polls on the symbol of a trumpet, while his opposing candidate is Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil, who this time will be fighting polls on Ajit Pawar-led NCP’s nomination.
In 2019 too, Kolhe and Adhalrao faced each other in the electoral race with the former contesting on watch as symbol and the latter on Shiv Sena nomination with bow and arrow as symbol.
However, with battle lines have been drawn clearly, a more personalised clash will be witnessed in Shirur amid citizens’ issues taking a backseat.
Ahead of the elections, Adhalrao Patil said, “My focus is development work done by me in past and the development work which is pending in the constituency. Also, importance will be given to the planned development work in the Shirur constituency.”
Once the stronghold of Shiv Sena, Shirur constituency in Pune district switched to the Nationalist Congress Party in 2019 when actor-turned-politician Amol Kolhe won the polls, ending the three-term rule of Adhalrao Patil.
Since December last year, the Shirur Lok Sabha seat has gained attention, as Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar claimed it had been a mistake to give a ticket in 2019 to Kolhe.
Kolhe, best known for his roles depicting warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji and his son, Chhatrapati Sambhaji, in two wildly popular vernacular series, emerged as a giant killer in 2019. Criticising him, NCP legislator Amol Mitkari on Wednesday, said in a post on social media, “During the shooting of the serial ‘Swarajya Rakshak Sambhaji Raje’, when you faced financial issues, would you dare to tell Maharashtra that Ajit Pawar solved your financial problems? (SIC).”
In Response to Mitkari’s tweet, Dr Ghanashyam Rao, a member of the production team of the Swarajyarakshak Sambhaji serial, said, “Ajit Pawar has not given any financial support.”
Speaking to HT, Kolhe said, “If the statement is made by a person in capacity, it should be taken seriously, else people should ignore other comments.”
After the split of the NCP, Kolhe has grown in stature, whereas Ajit Pawar has publicly vowed to defeat him.
The constituency’s demography has maximum agricultural land, also consisting of an industrial area with automobiles and other firms. Three major MIDCs- Chakan, Ranjangaon and Bhosari fall in this constituency. The central government’s recent decision to ban onion export may affect the polls as the constituency has many onion growers.
