Nitin Raut, Milind Mane Face-Off In Nagpur North

Nagpur North is the lone Scheduled Caste (SC) reserve constituency in Nagpur city. Though it is a reserve seat constituting the majority of the voters from that community, the constituency is also home to people from diverse cultures, including Buddhists, Sikhs, Christians, and Muslims. Traditionally, a Congress stronghold, the presence of several communities resulted a surprise victory for the BJP in 2014.

The current election marks the third face-off between BJP leader Milind Mane and Congress’s Nitin Raut. In the 2014 Assembly election, Mane encountered then sitting MLA Raut. Mane won the seat by securing 68,905 votes, while Raut was relegated to the third position. In the 2019 polls, Raut emerged winner, defeating Mane. Raut received 86,821 votes, and Mane garnered 66,127 votes.

Also Read | Halba Community Votes And Nagpur Central Seat

Before 2019, Raut won from the assembly segment consecutively in 1999, 2004, and 2009. He began associating with the Congress in the 1970s and rose through ranks. During several governments in the state, he handled multiple ministerial portfolios, including Home, Prison, Horticulture, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, Tribal Development, Employment Guarantee Scheme, Water Conservation, and Renewable Energy and Energy Department. He has also served as a guardian minister of Yavatmal District and Nagpur District.

Besides, he held important positions such as Vice President of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) and General Secretary of MPCC. Raut runs an NGO titled Sankalp Foundation, which works to support Dalits and other marginalised sections. His son Kunal is president of the Maharashtra Youth Congress.

Raut, who is well aware of the social dynamics and presence of mixed cultures in the constituency, is actively engaging in the campaigns. Meanwhile, Mane is relying on the support of local BJP bodies and developmental works carried out by the party in the area. In addition, the regularisation of nazul plots in this constituency, which the saffron party aggressively pursued, may appeal to voters, the Times of India reports.

Also Read | Nagpur West: Congress, BJP Gear Up For Political Showdown

A doctor by profession, Mane attained a name in the political circles with his win in the 2014 polls. In 2009, he contested from Nagpur North as an independent candidate and came in third. He has also served as a corporator in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation. Mane is a staunch advocate of LGBTQ rights in the region.

Aside from the vote bank consumed by Congress and BJP, the presence of Mayawati’s BSP, which also collects a large number of votes, affects the electoral prospects of other parties.