Rebels make equations complex in Gondia

Nagpur: Rebellion by candidates who were denied tickets has happened in every district but the intensity of the phenomenon seems extraordinary in Gondia. In all the four constituencies of the district, rebels from one or more parties have made equations complicated. The key to victory seems to be whether youngsters again vote for BJP due to Narendra Modi factor.Otherwise, it is difficult to predict the winner.
In Gondia, the contest seems to be triangular between sitting MLA Gopaldas Agrawal, Rajkumar Kuthe of Shiv Sena and Vinod Agrawal of BJP. The latter is not as strong as the first two but a positive feeling towards BJP among a section of voters has brought him into the race. Locals say that Kuthe may benefit from caste polarization. “The candidates of Congress, BJP and NCP are from mercantile class. OBCs are angry over this. Kuthe is the only OBC,” a Sena leader said. BSP has fielded a SC Yogesh Bansod for the first time. If SCs vote en bloc for him then Gopaldas Agrawal will be hit.
In Tiroda the equations are too complicated for even those with very sharp political acumen. The fight is a quadrangular one between BJP, Sena, BSP and Congress. However, other candidates in the fray are making it even more complex. BJP denied the ticket to sitting MLA Khushal Bopche and fielded Vijay Rahangdale, ex-president of zilla parishad (ZP). This angered his colleague Pancham Bisen, also an ex-ZP chief, who rushed to Sena to get a ticket.
Congress has fielded PG Katre, who hails from Goregaon taluka. As he is the only candidate from this area he might get lot of votes from there. NCP’s Rajlaxmi Turkar is not considered to be in the race. BSP’s Dipak Hirapure had polled 27,000 votes last time but this time his friend ex-MLA Dilip Bansod is contesting as an independent and hence Hirapure’s tally will reduce.
In Amgaon, a constituency reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST), sitting MLA Ramratan Raut of Cong, Ramesh Taram of NCP and Sanjay Kuram of BJP are locked in a triangular fight. Taram was the BJP candidate last time but when he was denied ticket he joined NCP. To add to BJP’s problems, an activist Sahasram Koreti has rebelled and is in fray as an independent.
Two Congress activists Pradip Dahiwale and Ajay Lanjewar have rebelled and are in fray as independents in Arjuni-Morgaon. However, as a compensation BJP activist Kiran Kamble is contesting on Sena ticket. BJP MLA Rajkumar Badole, Rajesh Nandagawli of Congress are the two major candidates. Locals say it is a triangular fight between BJP, Sena and Congress. NCP and BSP candidates are lightweights here.