Shashikant Shinde: Trade Union Leader To Retain Satara, NCP Bastion (image:facebook.com/shashikantshindeofficialpage)In the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, Satara constituency in Western Maharashtra will witness a strong fight between the BJP and NCP. NCP (Sharad Pawar) candidate Shashikant Jayawantrao Shinde will lock horns with BJP’s Udayanraje Bhosale.
Shashikant Shinde, belongs to the politically-influential Mathadi workers. He served as a legislator in state legislative assembly from 2009 to 2014. But, in 2019 he suffered defeated from the hands of a Sena candidate Mahesh Sambhajiraje Shinde by a margin of 6,000 votes. He has also served as a Water Resources Minister in the Cong-NCP government in 2013. After the electoral fall, Sharad Pawar brought back Shinde to significance in the political arena by making him an MLC in 2020. Shashikant Shinde, an ally to Sharad Pawar, pledged allegiance to latter after the NCP’s split in the last year.
Shinde hails from Koregaon in Satara district. During his election campaigns, NCP leader is advancing on the support of Sharad Pawar and is appealing to the voters listing on the works done by him as Koreagon and Jawali MLA and during his term as Minister. Besides, he shared his plans for future regarding development projects in the constituency and revival of industries to accelerate employment opportunities for people.
Satara has been a stronghold of Congress till 1999 and now been considered as bastion of NCP (SP). The parliamentary constituency comprises six assembly segments including Wai, Koregaon, Karad North, Karad South, Patan, and Satara. In the general seat, the main contenders for the constituency include, BJP, NCP and Shiv Sena. In the 2019 elections, NCP’s Shrimant Chh. Udayanraje Pratapsinhmaharaj Bhonsle secured victory by defeating Shiv Sena candidate Narendra Annasaheb Patil by a margin of 126528 votes.
Currently, Shashikant Shinde along with 24 directors and members of the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) is facing financial misappropriation charges for the FSI-allocation to traders. As the issue is gaining political attention in the poll-bound Satara, Udayanraje Bhosale and BJP is attempting to target Shinde to advance their prospects in the election.