Contrary to popular belief, political dynasties have held very little sway over the electorate in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, barring a few notable exceptions.
Among the prominent exceptions that merit mention are the Naik’s, the Gawli’s and the Wasnik’s.
The Naik family of Pusad in Yavatmal district has had a very good record in politics. Vasantrao Naik was chief minister of Maharashtra for 12 long years, the longest tenure for anyone so far. His nephew Sudhakarrao was also the chief minister from 1991 to 1993. He had to step down after the communal riots in Mumbai in the wake of the demolition of the disputed structure in Ayodhya in 1992. He later unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha election from Washim in 1996, but won in 1998. He went with the NCP when the party was formed in 1999, but Washim went to the Congress at the time. Sudhakarrao passed away later.
Sudhakarrao's younger brother Manohar has been a minister in the Maharashtra cabinet for several years, and now holds the Food and Drugs Administration portfolio. He unsuccessfully contested from Washim in 2004 as an NCP nominee.
Pundalikrao Gawali was a prominent leader, having represented Washim in the Lok Sabha. After his death, his daughter Bhawana took up the mantle, winning from Washim in 1999 and again in 2004. Incidentally, she got married a few days before the voting took place in 2004.
Balkrishna Wasnik had three terms in the Lok Sabha, from Bhandara in 1957, Gondia in 1962 and Buldhana in 1980. His son Mukul has had mixed fortunes. Having made his debut with a win from Buldhana in 1984, the junior Wasnik lost in 1989. He regained the seat in 1991, only to lose it in 1996, wrest it in 1998, only to lose it again in 1999 as well as in 2004. He was made a minister of state in the P V Narasimha Rao cabinet after he won in 1991.
Prominent leaders have tried, with very limited success, to initiate their sons into politics. Even while former Maharashtra minister Datta Meghe was in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), son Sagar joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to launch his political career. He won a term to the Maharashtra Legislative Council as a BJP nominee. Mr Meghe, once considered very close to NCP chief Sharad Pawar, later fell out with him, and quit the party to join the Congress. The junior Meghe also parted ways with the BJP and joined the Congress with his father.
Rajendra, the son of former Congress legislator Bhau Mulak, tried his hand in a civic poll several years ago, but failed. He entered the assembly from Umrer in 2004. Satish, the son of another former Congress legislator Sunil Shinde, joined the Shiv Sena and contested the assembly elections in 2004 from Katol in Nagpur district, but failed, losing to Anil Deshmukh of the NCP.
Another former Congress legislator who has been trying in vain to push his son into mainstream politics is Krishnarao Pandav. His son Kiran unsuccessfully tried his hand at civic politics several years ago. He joined the NCP when it was formed, but quit to contest from Nagpur South assembly constituency as a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) nominee in 2004, and lost. The eventual winner, Govindrao Wanjari (Congress), unfortunately died of a heart attack hours before members of the new Legislative Assembly were sworn in.
After a brief hiatus, the junior Pandav went to the Congress before coming back to the NCP. Recently, in the hope that the Congress-NCP combine would prefer a young face, Kiran filed his nomination for the by-election from Nagpur Local Self-Government Authorities constituency, a seat that had fallen vacant by the resignation of Sagar Meghe. However, his hopes were dashed and had to withdraw as the leadership decided to allow the Congress to contest the seat, and nominated senior leader Anantrao Gharad, who eventually lost.
Incidentally, Krishnarao Pandav managed to get a Congress ticket for his daughter Rajani Barde at the civic elections in Nagpur in 2007, and she is now a councillor. The Congress and NCP did not have an alliance at this election, and there were complaints against Kiran from a section of NCP workers that he had worked against the party’s interests.
Speaking of Govindrao Wanjari, in the by-election from Nagpur South after his death, his son Abhijeet tried in vain to get a ticket from the Congress. He contested as an independent, only to lose.
The Deshmukh family of Katol in Nagpur district, however, has had a pretty good run in politics. Cousins Ranjit and Anil have been ministers in the Maharashtra cabinet. Ranjit Deshmukh, who was once President of Nagpur Zilla Parishad (ZP), has held several portfolios, including irrigation. Anil Deshmukh has had a spectacular run in politics. Like his cousin, Anil was also President of Nagpur ZP before he jumped into the fray for the assembly elections in 1995. He won as an independent from Katol, and was made minister of state for cultural affairs in the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance government. In 1999, Anil joined the NCP and won another term, retaining his berth in the cabinet. He won again in 2004, and was made a minister again, only to be dropped during the recent change of guard in Maharashtra in the wake of the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai.
And Kamal Gavai, wife of veteran politician and former Maharashtra Legislative Council chairman R S Gavai, tried in vain to enter the Lok Sabha from their hometown Amravati in 1980.
Among the prominent exceptions that merit mention are the Naik’s, the Gawli’s and the Wasnik’s.
The Naik family of Pusad in Yavatmal district has had a very good record in politics. Vasantrao Naik was chief minister of Maharashtra for 12 long years, the longest tenure for anyone so far. His nephew Sudhakarrao was also the chief minister from 1991 to 1993. He had to step down after the communal riots in Mumbai in the wake of the demolition of the disputed structure in Ayodhya in 1992. He later unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha election from Washim in 1996, but won in 1998. He went with the NCP when the party was formed in 1999, but Washim went to the Congress at the time. Sudhakarrao passed away later.
Sudhakarrao's younger brother Manohar has been a minister in the Maharashtra cabinet for several years, and now holds the Food and Drugs Administration portfolio. He unsuccessfully contested from Washim in 2004 as an NCP nominee.
Pundalikrao Gawali was a prominent leader, having represented Washim in the Lok Sabha. After his death, his daughter Bhawana took up the mantle, winning from Washim in 1999 and again in 2004. Incidentally, she got married a few days before the voting took place in 2004.
Balkrishna Wasnik had three terms in the Lok Sabha, from Bhandara in 1957, Gondia in 1962 and Buldhana in 1980. His son Mukul has had mixed fortunes. Having made his debut with a win from Buldhana in 1984, the junior Wasnik lost in 1989. He regained the seat in 1991, only to lose it in 1996, wrest it in 1998, only to lose it again in 1999 as well as in 2004. He was made a minister of state in the P V Narasimha Rao cabinet after he won in 1991.
Prominent leaders have tried, with very limited success, to initiate their sons into politics. Even while former Maharashtra minister Datta Meghe was in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), son Sagar joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to launch his political career. He won a term to the Maharashtra Legislative Council as a BJP nominee. Mr Meghe, once considered very close to NCP chief Sharad Pawar, later fell out with him, and quit the party to join the Congress. The junior Meghe also parted ways with the BJP and joined the Congress with his father.
Rajendra, the son of former Congress legislator Bhau Mulak, tried his hand in a civic poll several years ago, but failed. He entered the assembly from Umrer in 2004. Satish, the son of another former Congress legislator Sunil Shinde, joined the Shiv Sena and contested the assembly elections in 2004 from Katol in Nagpur district, but failed, losing to Anil Deshmukh of the NCP.
Another former Congress legislator who has been trying in vain to push his son into mainstream politics is Krishnarao Pandav. His son Kiran unsuccessfully tried his hand at civic politics several years ago. He joined the NCP when it was formed, but quit to contest from Nagpur South assembly constituency as a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) nominee in 2004, and lost. The eventual winner, Govindrao Wanjari (Congress), unfortunately died of a heart attack hours before members of the new Legislative Assembly were sworn in.
After a brief hiatus, the junior Pandav went to the Congress before coming back to the NCP. Recently, in the hope that the Congress-NCP combine would prefer a young face, Kiran filed his nomination for the by-election from Nagpur Local Self-Government Authorities constituency, a seat that had fallen vacant by the resignation of Sagar Meghe. However, his hopes were dashed and had to withdraw as the leadership decided to allow the Congress to contest the seat, and nominated senior leader Anantrao Gharad, who eventually lost.
Incidentally, Krishnarao Pandav managed to get a Congress ticket for his daughter Rajani Barde at the civic elections in Nagpur in 2007, and she is now a councillor. The Congress and NCP did not have an alliance at this election, and there were complaints against Kiran from a section of NCP workers that he had worked against the party’s interests.
Speaking of Govindrao Wanjari, in the by-election from Nagpur South after his death, his son Abhijeet tried in vain to get a ticket from the Congress. He contested as an independent, only to lose.
The Deshmukh family of Katol in Nagpur district, however, has had a pretty good run in politics. Cousins Ranjit and Anil have been ministers in the Maharashtra cabinet. Ranjit Deshmukh, who was once President of Nagpur Zilla Parishad (ZP), has held several portfolios, including irrigation. Anil Deshmukh has had a spectacular run in politics. Like his cousin, Anil was also President of Nagpur ZP before he jumped into the fray for the assembly elections in 1995. He won as an independent from Katol, and was made minister of state for cultural affairs in the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance government. In 1999, Anil joined the NCP and won another term, retaining his berth in the cabinet. He won again in 2004, and was made a minister again, only to be dropped during the recent change of guard in Maharashtra in the wake of the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai.
And Kamal Gavai, wife of veteran politician and former Maharashtra Legislative Council chairman R S Gavai, tried in vain to enter the Lok Sabha from their hometown Amravati in 1980.
(UNI, Nagpur, March 12, 2009)
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