Lok Sabha elections 2024: Congress to contest in Bhandara-Gondia after 25 years

Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders during a public meeting at Sakoli in Bhandara. Pic/Satej Shinde

Following demarcation in 2008, the name of the constituency was changed to Bhandara-Gondia. While the seat has seen intermittent control by the BJP, Congress-NCP has wielded influence over it for a substantial period.

The history

Originally under Congress's control, from 1951 to 1998, the Bhandara-Gondia constituency was primarily represented by the Congress party. Former Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel served as a Congress MP for Bhandara-Gondia in the election years 1991, 1996, and 1998. However, the dynamics shifted when Patel switched allegiance to the Sharad Pawar-led NCP in 1999, diminishing Congress's stronghold in the region. Subsequently, in the Congress-NCP alliance, the constituency remained firmly with the NCP. In 2009, Patel secured victory and was elected as an NCP MP from this seat.

Congress candidate Prashant Padole during the public meeting at Sakoli in Bhandara. Pic/Satej Shinde

In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, during the Modi wave that swept the nation, Patel lost to Nana Patole who was in BJP then. However, in 2017, Patole quit the BJP, necessitating a by-election in 2018. NCP candidate Madhukar Kukde emerged victorious, defeating the BJP's Hemant Patle in the by-election, delivering a blow to the BJP. In 2019, the BJP fielded Sunil Mendhe, who defeated the NCP's Nana Panchbudhe to become an MP from the constituency.

The caste politics

The Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha constituency comprises six Assembly constituencies, evenly distributed between Bhandara and Gondia districts. In the Bhandara district, Tumsar, Bhandara, and Sakoli constitute the assembly segments, while Arjuni Morgaon, Tirora, and Gondia represent the assembly segments in the Gondia district.

Elections in this constituency are often shaped by caste dynamics, with the Kunbi community exerting considerable influence, followed by the Teli and Powar communities. Historically, candidates from the Kunbi community have enjoyed success in electoral contests here.

In the current elections, both the BJP and Congress have fielded candidates from the Kunbi community. Meanwhile, the Bahujan Samajwadi Party has nominated Sanjay Kumbhalkar from the Teli community. Notably, many members of the Teli community are rallying behind Praful Patel, who has endorsed the BJP. The final outcome may hinge on the support of the Powar community, which holds significant sway across the two districts.

Run-up to Lok Sabha Elections 2024

Initially, the President of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress, Nana Patole, was approached to contest from Bhandara-Gondia. Patole, who represents the Sakoli Assembly seat in Bhandara district, was considered a formidable contender against BJP's sitting MP, Sunil Mendhe. However, Patole declined the offer, leading Congress to field Dr Prashant Padole, a resident of Sakoli in the Bhandara district and a distant relative of Patole. Padole is also the son of Yadaorao Padole, a respected figure in cooperative circles and said to be a mentor/ political guru to Patole.

With Congress fielding a candidate in this constituency after a gap of 25 years, the Bhandara-Gondia seat has become a matter of prestige and a chance for redemption for the party. Meanwhile, the BJP nominated sitting MP Sunil Mendhe for re-election. Both parties have turned Bhandara-Gondia into a battleground, with former allies Congress and Ajit Pawar's NCP vigorously campaigning for the seat. The BJP's campaign revolves around "Modi ki guarantee" and highlighting development initiatives in both the state and the constituency.

Conversely, Congress is appealing to voters with narratives of Modi's alleged "dictatorship", unemployment, and farmer distress.

2008
Year name of the Bhandara constituency was changed