Many senior Congress and NCP leaders and Ministers in the Prithiviraj Chavan Cabinet had to face voters’ wrath in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra on Sunday.
Congress Ministers Nitin Raut, Shivajirao Moghe, Rajendra Mulak and Sanjay Deotale lost from their respective constituencies.
Education Minister Rajendra Darda faced a big defeat from Aurangabad.
Senior NCP leader and food Minister in the Chavan Cabinet, Anil Deshmukh, was defeated by his nephew and BJP candidate Ashish Deshmukh from Katol constituency.
Former president Pratibha Patil's son and Congress candidate from Amravati Raosaheb Shekhawat also suffered defeat at the hands of BJP leader Sunil Deshmukh.
Another NCP leader and former Minister Manohar Naik could withstand the saffron party wave in Vidarbha and held on to his family bastion in Pusad constituency in Yavatmal.
Former Minister and Congress leader from Wardha, Ranjeet Kamble won the Deoli seat by a slender margin of 943 votes.
Former NCP Minister and Deputy Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly Vasant Purke and senior Congress leader from Nagpur Anees Ahmad also joined the list of prominent losers from the region while State Congress chief Manikarao Thakre’s son Rahul Thakre could not pose a challenge to BJP MLA Madan Yerewar for the Yavatmal seat.
