Where Shivaji matters most

MAHARASHTRA ELECTIONS/SATARA

It's a tough contest between the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Satara Assembly constituency, which has traditionally been dominated by the descendants of Chatrapati Shivaji. And the NCP candidate has a slight edge over his rival of the BJP.

The political party nominating the candidate has had little impact on the poll results, as is evident from the 1999 Assembly election results.

Then, Abhaysinh Shahumaharaj Bhosale fought on the NCP ticket and won after polling 59,780 votes. His nearest rival was Shrimant Chhatrapati Udayan Raje Bhosale who fought on a BJP ticket and polled 54,417 votes.

That political parties play a small role in this contest is evident from the fact that the Congress candidate Uthale Babanrao polled a mere 5,738 votes, not being of royal stock as did the three other candidates none of whom managed to poll more than four per cent of the votes cast for this seat that places a high priority on royal lineage.

This time round Abhaysinh (having passed away) his son Srimant Shivendrasinh Abhayrajesinh Srimant Bhosale has been nominated by the NCP and his cousin Shrimant Chhatrapati Udayan Raje Bhosale of the BJP are fighting it out. While in 1999, six candidates were in the fray, this time only three are, including these two.

The third candidate Bharat Mahadeo Gurav is contesting on the Lokrajya Party ticket, and is not expected to impact the result.

The fight between the two descendants of Shivaji is expected to go to the wire and people like Daulatrao Bhosale from Satara feel it is time to give the other royal highness his term in office as member of legislative Assembly or shall be say run of the kingdom.

However, he is quick to add: "Sivendraraje has lost his father recently and people of the region always are with him in his sorrows just as his ancestors have worked for the people for centuries."