Nagpur: In the high-profile South-West Nagpur Assembly constituency, Deputy Chief Minister and BJP stalwart Devendra Fadnavis is seeking his fourth consecutive term, while Congress National Secretary Prafull Gudadhe Patil has stepped up as his primary challenger.
Even before the Assembly election announcement, Gudhe was prepared to take on Fadnavis. In a conversation with Nagpur Today, Gudhe clarified his stance, emphasizing a call for change among the people.
Wenesday Rate
Wed 25 Dec. 2024
“People Now Want Change”
Reflecting on his previous face-off with Fadnavis in 2014, Gudadhe noted that at the time, the “Modi wave” and Fadnavis’ status as the BJP’s Chief Ministerial candidate won local voters over. In 2019, although Gudadhe was given an opportunity to contest, he declined due to financial constraints, allowing Fadnavis another uncontested win. But now, with shifting political dynamics, Gudadhe believes the people are ready for change, making this election a close contest.
For 25 years, Fadnavis has represented South-West Nagpur, and Gudadhe pointed out his evolution: “From being ‘Deven Ji’ when he first became an MLA, to ‘Devendra Ji,’ then ‘Devendra Saheb,’ and now ‘Deva Bhau’ as he is popularly called. Times have changed, and so has the perception of his leadership.”
Historically, this constituency has been a BJP stronghold. In past elections, Fadnavis defeated Congress’ Vikas Thakre by 27,000 votes in 2009, Gudhe himself by 58,000 votes in 2014, and Dr. Ashish Deshmukh by 49,000 votes in 2019. However, Gudadhe is now rallying voters around a message of change. Known as a dedicated corporator and loyal party worker, Gudhe hopes to break the BJP’s long-standing grip on the constituency.
