Lost Lok Sabha polls but many want to fight state assembly elections 

Several politicians who lost recently held Lok Sabha polls are shifting their focus to the upcoming assembly elections, seeing it as a fresh opportunity to reconnect with voters and rebuild lost political ground. 

Leaders from both major alliances—Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti and Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)—are gearing up for the state elections, despite earlier setbacks. Many of these leaders, who lost in the LS polls, are now seeking assembly tickets, aiming to leverage their regional strengths. 

One such candidate is BJP’s Sujay Vikhe Patil, who lost the Ahmednagar Lok Sabha seat but is now preparing to contest from the Sangamner assembly constituency, a Congress stronghold represented by senior leader Balasaheb Thorat. Sujay’s father, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, a state minister, is set to contest from the neighbouring Shirdi seat. 

Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, while addressing the media on Friday, said, “Yes, we have requested a ticket for Sujay from Sangamner. The decision will be made by the BJP’s parliamentary board. I fully support Sujay’s decision.” 

Sangamner has long been a Congress bastion, with Balasaheb Thorat winning eight consecutive assembly elections. To counter Thorat, the BJP is expected to field a strong candidate, and Sujay Vikhe Patil could be a key contender.  

“For many years, Sangamner has been backward. I can be a solution to take the region ahead,” said Sujay Vikhe. 

In Pune, Congress’ sitting MLA Ravindra Dhangekar, who lost the Pune LS seat to BJP’s Murlidhar Mohol, is also eyeing a comeback. Dhangekar, a former five-time corporator, made headlines in 2023 by defeating the BJP’s Hemant Rasane in the Kasba Peth assembly bypolls. Dhangekar is likely to be fielded from Kasba Peth seat once again and has already begun meeting with party workers to strategise for the state elections.  

“I have been working for the party and confident to get the opportunity again to fight polls from Kasba Peth,” said Dhangekar. 

In Sangli, BJP leader Sanjaykaka Patil, who lost in the LS elections to Congress rebel and independent Vishal Patil, is pushing for his son, Prabhakar Patil, to contest from the Tasgaon-Kavathe Mahankal constituency. Last week, Sanjaykaka Patil met deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar to express his interest. 

Sanjaykaka Patil said, “We have conveyed our intention to both Fadnavis and Ajit dada Pawar. However, the seat-sharing discussions are still ongoing. Once finalised, we will decide on the next steps.”  

Though the final decision on Tasgaon-Kavathe Mahankal is pending, speculation is rife that Prabhakar Patil may contest under the NCP (SP) banner, running against Rohit Pawar of NCP Sharad Pawar’s faction. This constituency is likely to witness a new-generation political battle. From NCP (SP), late RR Patil’s son Rohit is likely to be fielded by the party.    

On the MVA front, NCP (SP) leader Shashikant Shinde, who lost the Satara LS seat to BJP’s Udayanraje Bhonsle by 30,000 votes, is preparing to contest from the Koregaon assembly constituency in Satara district. Shinde, who enjoys strong support from Mathadi workers, is expected to face a tough contest. In 2019, he lost the Koregaon assembly seat to Shiv Sena’s Mahesh Shinde but was later nominated as an MLC in 2020. 

Meanwhile, Ram Satpute, the BJP MLA from Malshiras in Solapur district, is also keen to contest again after his defeat in the LS polls to Praniti Shinde of the Congress. During the LS elections, there was considerable debate over outsider versus insider candidates, and the Mohite-Patil family is once again raising concerns about Satpute’s outsider status. From the MVA camp, NCP (SP) is likely to field Dhangar community leader Uttamrao Jankar against Satpute. At the same time in Amravati district Navneet Rana who lost LS polls, is eyeing to fight polls from Daryapur even as the party may not be in a position to field her since the seat is likely to go to Shiv Sena with local leader Abhijit Adsul may be fielded. 

Political observers believe that many of these politicians view the assembly elections as a chance for political rehabilitation following their LS defeats. The battle for tickets is intensifying, with candidates seeking endorsements from both MVA and Mahayuti or even considering independent runs.