Prataprao Patil Chikhalikar: Incumbent BJP MP To Face A Multi-Cornered Contest In Nanded (Image:twitter.com/MPPratapPatil/)

Nanded was one of the crucial constituencies in Maharashtra in the past Lok Sabha elections. The Sitting MP and then Congress leader Ashok Chavan got ousted by the BJP”s seasoned politician Prataprao Patil Chikhalikar in the 2019 elections. In the forthcoming polls, the saffron party is furthering faith in him by nominating Chikhalikar for a second term.

Prataprao Chikhalikar started his political career with Congress and contested unsuccessfully for the Loha Assembly segment in 1999. However, with hard work and dedication, he elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 2004. During the course of his political journey ever since, he associated with different political parties. Chikhalikar”s political journey continued with the Lok Bharati, the Nationalist Congress Party, and the Shiv Sena. In 2014, he elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly again, representing the Shiv Sena party. Aside from political roles, he has also served as director of the Nanded District Central Co-operative Bank.

In Nanded, a significant part of the Marathwada region, elections witnessed a tough fight between the BJP and Congress. In the 2019 polls, even though the sitting MP and former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Ashok Chavan put up a strong fight in the constituency, he succumbed to defeat at the hands of Pratap Chikhalikar, signaling the BJP”s hold in the region. Nanded has been more like home turf for Chavan, as his late father, Shankarrao Chavan, were also contested from there.

The political climate in Nanded points to a multi-cornered contest, as aside from Congress, the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) is also in the picture. Congress has given a ticket to former legislator Vasant Chavan, while the VBA has nominated Avinash Bosikar.