Wani Assembly constituency in Maharashtra will witness a high-stakes battle between sitting BJP MLA Sanjivreddy Bodkurwar and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction leader Sanjay Derkar.
Wani comes under the Yavatmal district in Maharashtra which compromises other six assembly constituencies such as Yavatmal, Ralegaon, Umarkhed, Pusad, Digras, and Arni.
Fierce rivalry
The BJP has shown continued confidence in Bodkurwar, nominating him for the third time. Having won the last two elections, Bodkurwar is hoping to clinch a hat-trick victory. On the other side, MVA’s candidate Derkar, is entering the race with strong local support. However, internal party dissent has emerged as a challenge for the MVA, with Congress member Sanjay Khade rebelling against the coalition’s choice and gaining support from former MLA Vishwas Nandekar and Congress leader Narendra Thackeray.
Adding another layer of competition, Raju Umbarkar of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has also entered the race. This four-way contest between BJP, Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and MNS has raised the stakes and intensified the electoral battle in Wani.
Lok Sabha polls results on assembly dynamics
The Wani constituency falls under the Chandrapur Lok Sabha seat, where recent trends favoured the MVA. In the last Lok Sabha election, Congress candidate Pratibha Dhanorkar led significantly from Wani with 125,781 votes, outpacing BJP’s Sudhir Mungantiwar, who garnered 69,113 votes. This Lok Sabha support for the MVA in Wani could influence the assembly election outcomes, posing a challenge to the BJP’s hold on the seat.
Divided Political Landscape in Yavatmal
In the broader seat-sharing arrangement within the Yavatmal district, the BJP has received five seats under the Mahayuti alliance, including Wani. Eknath Shinde’s faction of Shiv Sena holds Digras, while Ajit Pawar’s NCP has been allocated Pusad. Meanwhile, MVA’s allocation includes five seats for Congress, one for Sharad Pawar’s NCP, and one for Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena.
Past results
Numbered as the 76th assembly seat in Maharashtra, Wani has long been a BJP stronghold, with Bodkurwar representing the constituency since 2014. In the 2019 election, Bodkurwar defended his seat against Congress candidate Vamanrao Kasawar, winning 67,710 votes to Kasawar’s 39,915, a result that underscored his local popularity and BJP’s dominance.
Voter demographics and caste dynamics
Wani’s demographics play a significant role in shaping its political landscape. Around 23% of its voters belong to the tribal community, while Dalit voters make up 8%, and Muslim voters comprise approximately 4%. The constituency is predominantly rural, with 80% of its voters residing in villages, while the remaining 20% are urban.
As the election date approaches, all eyes are on Wani, where the BJP is fighting to retain control amidst a multi-cornered contest. With a blend of local loyalties and shifting alliances, the 2024 election outcome in Wani will reflect broader state-level dynamics in Maharashtra.
