Indapur likely to witness triangular fight as bizman Pravin Mane firm on contesting polls
I am determined to contest the polls and have decided to file my nomination on October 23, said Mane, who is the owner of Sonai Dairy, one of the largest dairies in Pune district
After Baramati, Indapur assembly constituency in Pune district is shaping up to be another key battleground, as businessman Pravin Mane is firm in contesting the upcoming elections as an independent candidate. Mane is expected to file his nomination on October 23.
Harshvardhan Patil, a former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and minister, recently joined the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar), with his ticket nearly finalised. When Patil joined NCP (SP), Pawar in the same public meeting announced his candidature. This upset Mane, who was seeking the NCP (SP) ticket himself.
Initially, a direct contest between two former ministers—Patil and sitting MLA Dattatray Bharne—was anticipated. However, with Mane’s anticipated entry into the fray, the election is likely to be a three-way battle.
“I am determined to contest the polls and have decided to file my nomination on October 23,” said Mane, who is the owner of Sonai Dairy, one of the largest dairies in Pune district. Mane is also an elected member of the Pune Zilla Parishad. In local politics, the Mane and Patil families are often seen as rivals.
Harshvardhan Patil’s son, Rajvardhan, said, “As a friend, I would advise Mane to stand behind Sharad Pawar and not contest the election.”
Patil’s entry into the NCP (SP) sparked discontent among some party loyalists, including Mane. Many were conspicuously absent from a recent meeting called by Patil, where Sharad Pawar himself was present. Mane and his supporters also met Supriya Sule to express their dissatisfaction with Patil’s induction into the NCP (SP).
In response, Sule said, “It is natural for leaders to have ambitions for higher positions. There is nothing wrong with expressing the desire to contest. We will try to address their concerns and convince them.”
Mane’s decision to run in the polls has sparked discussions about which candidate will benefit from his entry. Political observers believe that Mane, with his significant local influence and resources, will secure a considerable share of the votes. Since both Mane and Patil belong to the Maratha community, some predict a division of votes, which could work in favour of Bharne.
“The Maratha vote split between Patil and Mane could be to Bharne’s advantage, as Indapur has a substantial number of voters from the shepherd community, which Bharne represents,” one observer noted.
However, others argue that Mane’s candidacy could hurt Bharne. “If Mane contests, he may pull votes away from Bharne, ultimately helping Patil,” said a political observer.
In the previous election, Bharne narrowly defeated Patil by 2,700 votes. Given this close margin, Mane’s candidacy is expected to play a crucial role in determining the outcome in Indapur this time around.
