The Raigad battle in the Lok Sabha elections this time will pit two heavyweights against each other, both from parties that have recently undergone a split. The Ajit Pawar-led NCP has put forward sitting MP and its Maharashtra president Sunil Tatkare, while the Shiv Sena UBT has pinned its hopes on former union minister Anant Geete.
In Raigad, which will go to polls in the third phase on May 7, it has always been a head-to-head fight between the two big leaders since 2014, and the score stands at 1-1. Geete defeated Tatkare in 2014, while the NCP leader wrested the seat from the Sena veteran in 2019. This election is crucial for both to establish their supremacy in the constituency.
Chhatrapati Shivaji features in poll campaign of both parties
Another reason the fight will be an interesting one: Both the parties claim that they are taking forward the philosophy of “inclusiveness” taught by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and, Raigad fort, which makes every Maharashtrian proud, is in this constituency. Raigad was the first capital of Maratha rule in Maharashtra.
If we take a geographical look at the constituency, there are four assembly segments in Raigad district and two in Ratnagiri. Out of six assembly segments, the Shiv Sena UBT has one MLA in Guhagar that is represented by veteran politician Bhaskar Jadhav. After a split in the Shiv Sena, the MLAs of Dapoli, Mahad and Alibag decided to side with the Eknath Shinde-led faction.
The NCP has one MLA from the Shrivardhan assembly segment, which is represented by Sunil Tatkare’s daughter Aditi Tatkare. Traditionally, Raigad has been a Sena bastion but, after the split, the numbers speak more in favour of the Shinde-led Sena. Now, the onus is on Geete, Thackeray’s trusted confidant, to establish his party’s dominance in this constituency.
Geete has represented this seat six times, but lost to Tatkare in 2019 by at least 30,000 votes. This was the first time Tatkare and the NCP (before the split) got a chance to represent this constituency.
What are the key issues in Raigad?
The main issue in this constituency is the Mumbai-Goa highway. A patch of 84 km, which goes through this constituency, has become a problem not only for commuters but local residents as well. The project is yet to be completed more than 15 years after it began.
“I am thankful to Nitin Gadkari for allocating Rs 700 crore for the Mumbai-Goa highway. I am confident that with the ongoing construction work, this highway will be completed soon and opened for traffic,” Tatkare said.
But, Geete blamed former state PWD minister Chhagan Bhujbal and Gadkari. “Mumbai-Goa highway is the oldest in the country. Many highways have been developed in recent times but the Mumbai-Goa highway is yet to be completed. When the Mumbai-Goa highway expansion proposal came, at that time, I was the central minister and Nitin Gadkari was the road and transport minister. When the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was asked to float a tender for this highway, the state government and then PWD minister Chhagan Bhujbal stopped the project. He said the state government will make this road. So, the first phase of 84 km between Panvel and Indapur of Mumbai-Goa highway was with the state government, and that phase is in a pathetic state,” he said.
He added: “The second hurdle we faced was that minister Nitin Gadkari experimented with PPP (public private partnership) on this road despite our reservations. Due to this scheme, the road got stuck. I had told him several times not to experiment with this road and requested him to hand it over to NHAI; but, he was confident that the road will get constructed.”
Unemployment also plays a crucial role, further translating into the migration of the young population to megacities like nearby Mumbai, or to new IT and manufacturing hubs like Pune and Nashik.
“The youth of Raigad is migrating to Mumbai due to the proximity and opportunities they have there. As I said, due to the chemical zone, many industries have come up but there are not enough jobs available for the youth. Due to automation in the chemical industry, there are no opportunities for them in Raigad MIDC. I have brought many industries here and in the future will bring more industries to Raigad, which will create more jobs and the youth won’t have to go to Mumbai and Pune hunting for them,” Geete said.
Tatkare, however, is of the opinion that the youth should get a good education in Raigad and more industries should be set up here so that they can learn and earn in the district itself.
“I want to work for the youth as they are moving to Mumbai for jobs. One should learn here and then earn here too. If elected, I will try to bring more industries to generate employment and provide jobs to the youth in Raigad,” he said.
There is an allegation against Geete that he was nowhere to be seen after he lost the last election. Tatkare, being the MP, was always on the ground. “Those who are trying to put allegations against me, I can’t stop them. But, let me tell them that by making such allegations they are insulting the people of Raigad. These voters have given me a mandate six times. Sunil Tatkare, who is contesting against me, will get answers for all his questions and allegations against me in this election from the voters,” Geete said, when asked about the allegation that he has been missing in action.
What are the political dynamics?
It can be sensed that there are internal issues in the ruling Mahayuti alliance, with reports suggesting that, at a local level, a Sena MLA is not happy with the NCP and Tatkare family. A senior legislator like Bharatshet Gogawale failed to get a cabinet berth.
In the first expansion, he was supposed to get a ministerial berth, but due to the NCP’s inclusion, he was asked to wait. Instead, Aditi Tatkare – first-time NCP MLA from Shirwardhan and daughter of Sunil Tatkare – got a cabinet berth and became the only woman minister in the state cabinet.
No doubt on the day of filing his nomination, Tatkare brought all disgruntled leaders of the Mahayuti on a common stage; they not only spoke in Tatkare’s favour but also promised to put in all effort towards a win.
“I am being welcomed by all in my constituency, especially the youth who are in favour of the leadership of Ajit Pawar. I am confident that we will win this election as I have the vision and dedication to work for the people. Last time, I won by a margin of 32,000 votes, which I consider substantial. I was defeated by a smaller margin in the past. But, in the current scenario, we have the support of MNS, Shiv Sena, BJP, RPI and RSP, and I am confident of a glorious victory,” he added.
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