Sons, daughters and siblings: Political dynasties in 2024 assembly polls

Pune: One of the highlights of 2024 assembly election has been the influence of political dynasties, showcasing a blend of continuity and fresh challenges. While some families extended their legacies, others faltered as new leaders emerged across the state.

A remarkable outcome was the success of Raosaheb Danve Patil’s family, with his children elected from different parties. Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Santosh Danve Patil triumphed in Bhokardan, defeating Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar)’s Chandrakant Danve by over 23,000 votes. Simultaneously, his sister Sanjana Jadhav, representing the chief minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, defeated her husband Harshvardhan Jadhav (Independent) in Kannad by over 18,000 votes.

Similarly, Narayan Rane’s family added to their stronghold in the Konkan region. His son Nitesh Rane of BJP retained Kankavali, defeating Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray)’s Sandesh Parker by over 58,000 votes, while his elder brother Nilesh Rane of Shiv Sena secured victory in Kudal, defeating Vaibhav Naik of Shiv Sena (UBT) by 7,000 votes.

From the Chavan family, former chief minister Ashok Chavan’s daughter Sreejaya Chavan (BJP) marked her debut in Nanded, winning the Bhokar constituency by over 50,000 votes against Tirupati Kondekar of Congress.

Heramb Kulkarni, who has been voicing against political dynasties, said, “I am preparing a detailed report on political dynasties in state assembly elections 2024 and soon it will be punished. As per my observation, all parties are moving in the same direction, which will adversely impact our democracy resulting in no decentralisation of power as it will be limited to some families.”

Kulkarni said that the 2024 state polls saw father-daughter, brother-sister, relatives in the fray against each other. “It means that they are not ready to give chance to their party workers who toil hard on the ground,” he said.

In Marathwada, the Bhumre family consolidated their influence in Paithan, where Shiv Sena’s Vilas Bhumre, son of MP Sandipan Bhumre, defeated Datta Gorde Shiv Sena (UBT) by over 29,000 votes.

Among notable dynastic victories in Mumbai, Jyoti Gaikwad, daughter of former Congress leader Eknath Gaikwad, won the Dharavi seat by a comfortable 23,000-vote margin against Shiv Sena’s Rajesh Khandare. Similarly, NCP leader Nawab Malik’s daughter, Sana Malik, secured Anushakti Nagar by a slim margin of 3,000 votes, defeating Fahad Ahmad (NCP-SP).

The western Maharashtra region saw significant wins. Vikram Pachpute, son of BJP veteran Babanrao Pachpute, claimed the Shrigonda seat in Ahmednagar by 37,000 votes, while Rahul Awade from Kolhapur, son of Prakash Awade, defeated NCP-SP’s Madan Karande in Ichalkaranji by over 50,000 votes.

Dynasties also flourished in Sangli, where Suhas Babar and Rohit Patil made their debuts. Babar, son of late Shiv Sena leader Anil Babar, won the Khanapur seat by a resounding 78,000 votes. Rohit Patil (NCP-SP), son of the late RR Patil, secured victory in Tasgaon-Kavathe Mahankal with a margin of 27,000 votes.

Other noteworthy victories included Babasaheb Deshmukh, grandson of Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) veteran Ganpatrao Deshmukh, winning Sangole in Solapur by 25,000 votes, and Aditi Tatkare retaining Shrivardhan for the NCP. In Pune, BJP’s Siddharth Shirole, son of Anil Shirole, retained Shivajinagar with ease.

Setbacks for some families

Not all family legacies triumphed. Amit Thackeray, son of Raj Thackeray of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), lost Mahim, while Dheeraj Deshmukh (Congress), son of former CM Vilasrao Deshmukh, failed to retain Latur Rural. Similarly, Ranjit Shinde, son of NCP MLA Baban Shinde, was defeated in Madha, signalling changing preferences among voters.

The results reflected a mixed bag for political dynasties. While some extended their strongholds, others were upstaged by new faces, signaling a shift in voter priorities.