Big upsets may be seen in district's rural seats

NAGPUR: The average turnout in the six Nagpur district (rural) seats of Katol, Ramtek, Kamptee, Saoner, Hingna and Umred was a good 12% higher than that of the six Nagpur city seats accentuating the urban versus rural voting patterns. Also, there is much interest now on how two senior Nationalist Congress Party leaders, both ex-ministers, would fare against relative novices from the BJP challenging them.
A day after the voting took place, election officials came out with final figures of voting in all 12 seats of district for which 221 candidates were in the fray. Katol recorded the highest voting at 70.38% in the rural and the lowest was in Nagpur West at 52.14%. The vast gap showed the urban voter was more susceptible to electoral fatigue or, may be, indifference. In the district, Kamptee logged the lowest figure at 62.25%. Even that was significantly higher than the Nagpur city seats' average of 54.42% or entire district's average of 60.11%.
In 2009 elections, the NCP had won only Katol in Nagpur district and the Shiv Sena won Ramtek. This time, oth the parties may find it difficult to retain their respective seats. In Katol, NCP ex-minister Anil Deshmukh who has won four consecutive terms from the seat is up against his own nephew Ashish, son of former MPCC president Ranjit Deshmukh. If the Modi wave is blowing as the BJP claims, then Ashish contesting on the BJP ticket may emerge the giant killer. A similar story unfolds in Hingna, where former minister Ramesh Bang faces a stiff challenge from BJP debutant Sameer Meghe, son of Datta Meghe. The voter turnout at Hingna was 66% and it is believed this high polling was because of youth who seem to be backing the BJP in a big way.
In Ramtek too, voting was at a high of 68.61%. Here sitting Shiv Sena MLA Ashish Jaiswal is in a triangular fight with BJP's Mallikarjuna Reddy and Congress' Subodh Mohite. Not long ago, Mohite had won Lok Sabha elections from Ramtek as a Sena candidate and even became Union minister in NDA government. Later, he shifted to the Congress and now faces an uncertain future as he is expected to be at number three.
In Saoner, sitting Congress MLA Sunil Kedar is expected to have it easy as the BJP candidate Sonba Musale was disqualified because of wrong disclosures in his affidavit. Saoner too recorded enthusiastic voting of 68.91%. In Umred reserved (SC) constituency, sitting BJP MLA Sudhir Parwe will be lucky to win as he is in a keen triangular fight with an independent Raju Parwe possibly turning spoilsport though the Congress candidate Dr Sanjay Meshram may not pose that serious a threat. Umred recorded a turnout of 65.81%.