Local political relations key this season

Kolhapur: Local political dynamics in Kolhapur will be key this election season with the four major political parties forming alliances to fight off challenges.
Political movements within the BJP-Shiv Sena combine and the Congress-NCP alliance could push national issues to the back seat.
The feud between NCP’s Dhananjay Mahadik and Congress’ Satej Patil has been intensifying over the past few days.
The BJP, meanwhile, has been finding it difficult to gain the Shiv Sena’s confidence because of its close relationship with the Mahadik family. Patil and Mahadik have been busy making remarks against each other and guardian minister Chandrakant Patil has had to reaffirm that would stick to the party’s decision even if his wife was contesting from the rival party.
The fight for the Kolhapur LS seat will be a fight as candidatures of sitting Lok Sabha member Dhananjay Mahadik (NCP) and Sanjay Mandlik (Shiv Sena) are now almost certain.
The Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) has announced Dr Aruna Mali as its candidate in Kolhapur.
This is the second time that Kohapur will witness a fight between Mahadik and Mandlik. In 2014, Mahadik won with the small margin of 33,000 votes, despite the ‘Modi wave’. In 2019, Mahadik’s chances seem to have improved with no visible signs of a wave.
But both Mandlik and Mahadik also have opponents from within their own parties. However, Mahadik faces a stronger internal opposition because most NCP leaders from the district have publicly opposed his renomination.
Mahadik’s rival, Satej Patil of the Congress, has intensifying his campaign against the NCP nominee despite intervention by leaders such as Sharad Pawar.
He even invited Sena’s potential candidate, Sanjay Mandlik, to an event, sending a strong signal to voters. Patil has also announced that Mahadik will be leading the district in the future.
The BJP-Sena alliance is also experiencing similar trouble because of its close relationship with the Mahadik family. Friendship between Dhananjay Mahadik and the guardian minister, Chandrakant Patil, is a matter of public knowledge.
The close relationship between the two had sparked speculation that Mahadik would be the BJP candidate if the party didn’t have an agreement with the Sena.
The BJP MLA, Amal Mahadik, is a cousin of Dhananjay Mhadik. Amal Mahadik had defeated Satej Patil in the 2014 Assembly elections.
Shoumika Mahadik, wife of Amal Mahadik, is a president of the Kolhapur zilla parishad.