A high-stakes political battle is brewing in the Latur Rural assembly constituency in central Maharashtra. With 18 candidates vying for the seat, the primary contest is shaping up between Congress MLA Dheeraj Deshmukh, son of former Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, and BJP MLC Ramesh Karad.

BJP eyes Congress stronghold

The BJP has intensified its efforts to challenge the Congress's hold on Latur Rural. Karad, who had previously hoped for a BJP ticket in 2019, was disappointed when the seat was allotted to Shiv Sena under a seat-sharing arrangement.

In the 2019 elections, Dheeraj Deshmukh secured a comfortable victory, winning by a margin of 1,35,006 votes. The Shiv Sena candidate, Sachin Deshmukh, ran a low-key campaign, which allowed Dheeraj to consolidate his position. The NOTA (None of the Above) option garnered 27,500 votes, highlighting voter dissatisfaction during that election.

MNS and VBA candidates add to the mix

The political contest has been further energized by the presence of candidates from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA). MNS candidate Santosh Nagargoje is focusing on rural voters, particularly in areas where he has reportedly gained support from local communities. VBA's Dr. Vijay Ajnikar, meanwhile, is conducting corner meetings to engage with voters and make his case. Though both candidates are drawing attention, political observers expect the main fight to be between Deshmukh and Karad.

Congress's stronghold faces challenge

The Latur Rural constituency, which covers Renapur tehsil, most of Latur tehsil, and parts of Ausa, has been a Congress bastion for over a decade. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Congress secured leads in both Latur City and Latur Rural, further solidifying its dominance in the area.

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange had initially planned to field a candidate in the constituency but later withdrew, stating that he would not support any of the current candidates.

Polling date and results

The constituency will go to polls on November 20, along with all other seats in the state. Counting of votes for all seats will be held on November 23.