2 rivals fight for supremacy even before poll fever rises

Nashik: A slugfest between two arch rivals — Congress's Balasaheb Thorat and BJP's Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil — has already taken the centre stage in Ahilyanagar (formerly Ahmednagar) district's political landscape even before campaign for the Nov 20 assembly poll has intensified.Thorat has accused Vikhe Patil of creating a "vicious" atmosphere in Shirdi. The BJP heavyweight has hit back, describing Thorat as a "bubble" that will burst in the election and even challenged Thorat to have an open debate on development in Shirdi and Sangamner.Thorat is the incumbent MLA from Sangamner, consecutively winning the constituency for eight times, while Vikhe Patil has been the legislator from Shirdi, holding the seat for seven times in a row since 1995. Both seasoned politicians hail from Ahilyanagar and are once again contesting from their resepective seats in a battle for prestige.Speaking at a programme recently, the Congress politician said MVA's slogan in Shirdi constituency this election would be ‘dahashadwad se azadi' (freedom from fear). "Those who call the shots in Shirdi will be cut to size by MVA with voters' blessings," he said, in a thinly veiled allusion to Vikhe Patil.Thorat said the fearful atmosphere created by the "rulers" of Shirdi had diminished to a large extent after the results of Rahata-based Shree Ganesh Cooperative Sugar Factory election held last year and the recent Ahmednagar Lok Sabha poll. "It will completely vanish after the Congress candidate, Prabhavati Ghogare, has triumphed in the state election. People of Shirdi are yearning for development, which has eluded the constituency despite one family ruling it for decades," he said. In the fight for the sugar mill's control, the panel backed by Thorat won, defeating the one supported by the BJP MLA. Vikhe Patil's son, Sujay, lost the LS seat to NCP(SCP) nominee Nilesh Lanke.Ghogare, Vikhe Patil's political bete noire, was associated with NCP(SCP) before switching to Congress on Sharad Pawar's approval. Thorat had requested the senior Pawar to let Ghogare go and contest on a Congress ticket since she was MVA's ‘best bet' to dethrone the BJP stalwart from Shirdi, according to Congress insiders. She was inducted into the grand old party at a function in Shirdi on Thursday. "Compare the atmosphere in my constituency with that of Shirdi. I do not indulge in any political vendetta against my political opponents. Some of my detractors run different businesses at Sangamner. They do not face any form of harassment. But that is not the situation in Shirdi," Thorat added.Refuting Thorat's allegations, Vikhe Patil claimed that it was not fear but love of Shirdi voters that had helped him win the seat, comfortably, time and again."Thorat was Maharashtra's revenue minister for a long time. But he could not develop Sangamner and generate employment. Leave alone his detractors, even a large section of party cadre is unhappy with him," Vikhe Patil said.