The Chandrapur Lok Sabha constituency is set to witness a triangular contest among Hansraj Ahir of BJP, Sanjay Deotale of Congress and Wamanrao Chatap from AAP, as per information released by the district election officer here today.
All three candidates have their merits like Ahir who is a three-time BJP MP, Deotale who is a minister in the Prithviraj Chavan cabinet and Chatap who is a leader of the Shetkari Sanghatana and also the leader of an agitation for a separate Vidarbha state.
After withdrawal of two nominations on the last date of withdrawal today, 18 candidates remain in the fray for Lok Sabha elections from the Chandrapur Lok Sabha constituency, according to information released today.
Three of the candidates are from political parties recognised at the national and state levels, followed by nine candidates from registered political parties and six independents.
All candidates were allotted with election symbols, it is stated. The candidates in the fray from national parties, for the Chandrapur Lok Sabha constituency, are Hansraj Gangaram Ahir (BJP), Hansraj Gulab Kumbhare (BSP) and Sanjay Wamanrao Deotale (INC).
It may be noted here that Hansraj Ahir is a sitting BJP MP, while Sanjay Deotale is Maharashtra's minister for environment and cultural affairs as well as the guardian minister of the district.
Candidates from registered political parties include Ashok Vithobaji Khandale (RPI), Qureshi Mohmed Iklakh Mohammed Yusuf (Socialist Party of India), Roshan Jambuwantrao Ghaivan (Republican Party, Khorip), Wamanrao Sadashiv Chatap (Aam Aadmi Party), Nitin Vasant Pohane (Lok Bharati), Nandkishore Gangaram Rangari (Ambedkarite Paty of India), Pankaj Kumar Ajablal Sharma (All India Trinamool Congress), Firoze Usman Khan Pathan (Bahujan Mukti Party) and Siddarth Rameshchandra Raut (Prabudhha Republican Party).
Independents in the fray include Atul Ashok Munginwar, Kartik Gajanan Kodape, Namdeo Manik Shedmake, Pramod Mangruji Sorte, Vinod Dinanath Meshram and Sanjay Nilkanth Gawande.
