Sindhudurg: One of the seats that has caught the attention of Maharashtra is the Kankavli seat in the Sindhudurg district. A firebrand leader Nitish Rane, known for his aggressive stand on Hindutva, is contesting the polls, on a BJP ticket. Nitesh is the son of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Narayan Rane, who switched from Shiv Sena to Congress to BJP.
The battle for Kankavli is between the BJP and the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray). The Shiv Sena (UBT) has fielded Sandesh Parkar, a local worker, against Nitesh Rane.
The Rane family has a considerable hold over the Konkan region and hence Nitesh should sail through without any difficulty. Both Nitesh and his father are popular among the voters.
However, the Konkan has been traditionally a stronghold of the undivided Shiv Sena. Hence it remains to be seen whether the Konkani voter votes for the BJP or shifts to Shiv Sena (UBT). Nitesh for the record has the support of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
Parkar has the support of the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) and the Congress and if he wins it will be one of the biggest upsets of the 2024 Maharashtra polls.
A close battle is surely on the cards.
