Nagpur: The political influence of Vidarbha has grown significantly in Maharashtra, with prominent leaders from both the Congress and the BJP now holding decisive positions. This shift marks a change from the political landscape over a decade ago when power was largely concentrated in Western Maharashtra and Marathwada, and leaders from Vidarbha rarely held dominant roles.
For Congress, Vidarbha’s influence is evident through top leaders like State President Nana Patole and the Legislative Assembly’s Leader of Opposition, Vijay Wadettiwar, both hailing from this region. Recently, the Congress high command appointed Mukul Wasnik and Avinash Pande, two senior state election coordinators from Nagpur and General Secretaries of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), to manage the party’s campaign strategy for the upcoming Assembly polls. These appointments give Vidarbha leaders a powerful role in candidate selection and strategic decisions.
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Despite this regional consolidation, sources indicate some internal differences among the Congress Vidarbha leaders. Wasnik and Pande, though influential in the party’s decision-making process, reportedly do not share a close rapport with Patole and Wadettiwar, which could impact campaign unity.
In the BJP camp, Vidarbha has become an equally powerful force. Leading the charge is Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, an influential figure in Maharashtra’s BJP and now a member of the Central Party Parliamentary Board. Supporting him is Chandrashekhar Bawankule, the State BJP President, further strengthening Vidarbha’s dominance in state-level decisions. Although Union Minister Nitin Gadkari is less involved in state politics, his substantial following ensures his influence during election campaigns.
The presence of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters in Nagpur amplifies Vidarbha’s importance within the BJP. While a BJP leader clarified that the RSS does not finalize candidate selections, he acknowledged that there is a level of informal coordination between the BJP and the RSS.
According to a senior Congress leader, Vidarbha’s increased influence in Maharashtra politics signals a significant departure from the past, when Congress decision-makers were primarily based in Western Maharashtra or Marathwada. Though Vidarbha has always had prominent leaders, they previously did not wield the same authority as leaders from other regions.
A BJP source traced Vidarbha’s rising political stature back to 2014, crediting the Fadnavis-Gadkari partnership as a turning point. He emphasized that under the current setup, state-level candidate approvals depend heavily on Nagpur-based leaders. Previously, top leaders were accessible only in Mumbai, but now senior leaders from across Maharashtra frequently travel to Nagpur to consult with Fadnavis and Gadkari.
As Maharashtra heads into a politically charged season, Vidarbha’s leadership in both Congress and BJP places it in a position of considerable influence, marking a historic shift in the state’s political landscape.
