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BJP may be counting on the Modi wave to see its candidates through in the Lok Sabha polls, but Nitin Gadkari, the party's former chief and nominee for the seat here, faces a tough battle against seven-time sitting MP Vilas Muttemwar in this traditional Congress bastion.
After a loss in his first direct election in the Assembly polls in 1985 from West-Nagpur constituency, Gadkari is making his debut as a Lok Sabha candidate 29 years later.
He had marked his rise in 1981 as a student leader in the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), BJP's students' wing. Gadkari was later elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Council where he continues to be an MLC till July, when his latest term expires.
But although Gadkari has risen to the national level as a BJP leader, he is the only one in the higher echelons of the party who is not a member of either house of Parliament.
Now, he is banking on his charity and social work among all sections of society here, particularly the minorities, to see him through.
However, a section of his own partymen with links to BJP stalwart Gopinath Munde is learnt to be not too keen on his candidature. Also, a section of RSS cadre is unhappy with his style of functioning after his unceremonious exit from BJP's top leadership.
Being a Maharashtrian Brahmin is also to his disadvantage in terms of caste equations.
But what is said to have sent the wrong signals to the party cadre is Narendra Modi's decision to hold a rally in neighbouring Wardha after overlooking Nagpur. Wardha is seen as being a less important constituency than Nagpur.
Modi's Wardha rally was held on March 20 after RSS snubbed the 'Namo, Namo' chant, saying no individual was above the party.
