Kothrud to see 3-way fight as BJP minister Chandrakant Patil seeks fresh term

Pune: Maharashtra minister and BJP candidate Chandrakant Patil is locked in a triangular contest in Pune city's Kothrud constituency where he faces a challenge from the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS for a second term from the seat.

Kothrud, an upmarket and a Brahmin-dominated suburb, is one of the most sought after residential areas in Maharashtra's Pune city.

The constituency, a BJP stronghold since 2014, comprises 4,36,472 voters, who have raised concerns over traffic woes and other infrastructure-related issues in the area ahead of the November 20 state polls.

From 2014 to 2019, the seat was represented by BJP's Medha Kulkarni, now a Rajya Sabha member.

In the 2019 state elections, Kulkarni was denied the ticket to accommodate Chandrakant Patil, who hails from Kolhapur.

Despite initial criticism of being an "outsider," former state BJP president Patil then won against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) candidate Kishor Shinde, who had the backing of Congress and (then undivided) NCP backing, by a margin of more than 25,000 votes.

This election, however, presents a tougher challenge for Patil, as Shiv Sena (UBT) nominee Chandrakant Mokate, a former Shiv Sena (then unified) MLA from Kothrud until 2014, has expressed confidence that people will back him as he is the "son of the soil".

The MNS has re-nominated Shinde, setting the stage for a triangular contest.

Speaking to PTI, Mokate claimed there has been little progress on the basic infrastructure development in the constituency over the past 10 years.

"Whether it is roads, flyovers, or the ongoing traffic issues, there has been no significant progress. There is no addition to what was done during my tenure as MLA until 2014," he claimed.

Although a flyover has been constructed at Chandni Chowk (a stretch on Mumbai-Bengaluru Highway near Kothrud), commuters still face challenges near Bhusari Colony road, just a few meters away from the flyover, Mokate said.

He credited Union minister Nitin Gadkari for the Chandni Chowk flyover, and said that under his (Mokate) leadership, an all-party agitation was held 12 years ago demanding a flyover there to ease the traffic snarls.

Mokate expressed confidence that he would make a comeback in Kothrud this time.

"I am sure the people will rally behind me, as I am the son of the soil and have been with the people of Kothrud all these years," he said.

MNS nominee Shinde claimed that Patil's tenure has not been noteworthy, despite he being Pune's guardian minister, and revenue minister in the previous Devendra Fadnavis-led government till 2019.

"As far as Patil's work in the constituency is concerned, it's a big zero as there has been no notable infrastructural development in the past five years," claimed Shinde, who is a lawyer and general secretary of the MNS.

Patil's work in the constituency has been minimal, Shinde claimed, adding, "For me, as an MNS candidate, this election has become easy because I am confident the people of Kothrud will support me."

Asked about Mokate's challenge, Shinde said the Sena (UBT) candidate was his political mentor in late 1990s, but he became politically "inactive" after 2014.

Kothrud resident Sanjay Kaikade said traffic problem remains a major issue for daily commuters in the area and claimed no concrete steps have been taken to resolve it.

"While there is a Metro line on Paud Road extending to Vanaz corner, the network needs to expand further to Hinjawadi, as daily commuters face significant challenges travelling to work," he said.

BJP candidate Patil said he was confident of a victory in the upcoming elections, highlighting his close relationship with the people of Kothrud.

"I have a personal connection with the people of Kothrud, and I am confident I will win the seat with a record margin," he said.

In the Lok Sabha elections, BJP MP Murlidhar Mohol got a lead of 74,500 votes (in Kothrud segment of the parliamentary constituency). "This time, I aim to secure at least one vote more (that Mohol's vote margin)," Patil said.

The BJP leader also dismissed concerns about his accessibility, saying, "After the 2019 elections, there were doubts about whether I would be available to the people of the constituency. But I have always been available."

Deepak Mankar, the city unit chief of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, who is campaigning for Patil as part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, expressed confidence that the BJP leader would win by a margin of at least one lakh votes.

"The atmosphere in Kothrud and the rest of the city is very positive for Mahayuti, due to the people-centric schemes and work done over the last two-and-a-half years. In Kothrud, the lead margin in the Lok Sabha polls was around 75,000, and our goal is to increase Patil's margin to 1 lakh votes," he said, adding the NCP city unit has been actively campaigning for alliance candidates in Pune.