Family Rivalries Dominate Maharashtra Assembly Polls

In Maharashtra’s upcoming elections, multiple family members face off, including the Pawars, Thackerays, and Deshmukhs. The poll has underscored internal family rivalries, with candidates vying for power within and across party lines.

The Maharashtra Assembly elections on November 20 are showcasing a series of high-profile family rivalries, with husbands competing against wives, uncles against nephews, and cousins vying for power. This year, numerous political families face internal contests across the state, highlighting a new layer of dynastic politics amid existing party rivalries.

In Baramati, a stronghold of the Pawar family, Yugendra Pawar, supported by Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP), is challenging his uncle, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, a veteran in this seat. Similarly, Ajit Pawar’s nephew, Rohit Pawar, is contesting Karjat-Jamkhed as an NCP (SP) candidate against BJP’s Ram Shinde.

Another significant family face-off involves independent candidate Harshwardhan Jadhav and his estranged wife, Sanjana Jadhav, a Shiv Sena candidate and daughter of BJP leader Raosaheb Danve, in the Kannad constituency. Sanjana's brother, Santosh Danve, also from the BJP, is running for a nearby seat in Bhokardan, Jalna.

In Latur, Congress brothers Amit and Dhiraj Deshmukh, sons of former Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, are contending in neighboring constituencies, Latur City and Latur Rural. Similarly, brothers Nitesh and Nilesh Rane, sons of BJP MP Narayan Rane, are contesting in Kudal and Kankavli as Shiv Sena and BJP candidates, respectively.

Mumbai sees the Thackeray cousins in the fray: Aaditya Thackeray is seeking re-election from Worli for Shiv Sena (UBT), while his cousin Varun Sardesai is running from Vandre East, and Amit Thackeray from Mahim for MNS.

Former minister Ganesh Naik is contesting from Airoli for BJP, while his son Sandeep represents NCP (SP) in neighboring Belapur. Other family rivalries include Minister Vijaykumar Gavit and his daughter Heena Gavit in Nandurbar and Akkalkuwa, NCP’s Jayant Patil and his nephew Prajakt Tanpure in Islampur and Rahuri, and Minister Chhagan Bhujbal and his nephew Sameer Bhujbal in Yevala and Nandgaon.

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The elections are also marked by cross-party family dynamics, as BJP's Ashish Shelar and his brother Vinod Shelar contest seats in Mumbai, and brothers Santukrao and Mohanrao Hambarde compete for BJP and Congress in Nanded.