Nagpur: In a significant turn of events, the Nagpur constituency is witnessing a clash of ideologies in the Lok Sabha elections. Nagpur, known as the stronghold of the Congress, has seen victories for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the past two Lok Sabha elections, with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari securing victories by a significant margin.
However, in this Lok Sabha election, the Congress has put forward Vikas Thakre to challenge Gadkari’s dominance in the political arena of Nagpur.
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08 April 2025
While BJP’s Gadkari is seeking votes on development plank, Congress’ Vikas Thakre is raising issues of unemployment, inflation, lack of basic amenities, and local problems and appealing the voters to vote for him to resolve these problems.
The BJP believes “if there is one seat where we can bet our victory it is Nagpur. The only surprise will be the victory margin”.
Gadkari, who has already embarked on a swirling campaign, has sought people’s support for a huge mandate this time. The Congress has used BJP’s infrastructure plank to reach out to people to “impress how Gadkari has served only the upper middle-class and rich”. The BJP success stories do not include the concerns of the poor and lower middle-class. This is the refrain of Thakre during the poll campaign in the city. “The Dalits, Muslims, poor and oppressed segments of society have no sense of participation in the growth and development which the BJP is boasting under PM Narendra Modi’s leadership,” Thakre said.
The first phase of voting in Maharashtra’s 48 Lok Sabha constituencies, including Nagpur, is scheduled for April 19.
Gadkari confident of victory:
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari is a national leader known for his consistent and outstanding performance. He has been singled out as one of the best-performing Central Ministers, and he has made it clear that he seeks re-election based on the development works undertaken by the Narendra Modi Government and his own initiatives in Nagpur over the past two terms. While there is little doubt about Gadkari’s victory, he has expressed confidence in securing 75% of the votes in Nagpur and has actively campaigned to maintain that lead.
Thakre ready to challenge Gadkari:
In a bid to challenge Nitin Gadkari, the Congress has fielded Vikas Thakre as its candidate in the Nagpur constituency. Thakre is a formidable contender, and senior leaders of the Congress are confident in his ability to secure victory against the BJP stalwart Gadkari. Thakre, a former Mayor of Nagpur, is a popular figure in the city and is seen as a viable leader. Currently, he serves as the MLA for Nagpur West.
In his campaign trail, Thakre has come down heavily on the BJP for its failure to tackle the issues of unemployment, inflation, lack of basic amenities, and local problems that have become focal points for the citizens of Nagpur.
The victory of the BJP in Nagpur is not assured, as there is a possibility of a significant impact from the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), and AIMIM. These parties have not announced their candidates for Nagpur, leaving the field open for speculation. In the 2019 elections, the alliance of AIMIM with VBA and BSP received around 57,943 votes, or nearly 5% of the total votes. This alliance poses a challenge to both Gadkari and Thakre.
Dialogue with senior journalists
A dialogue was held with senior journalists regarding the potential outcome of the Nagpur Lok Sabha elections. Prominent journalist Pradeep Maitra, talking to Nagpur Today, commented that the contest between Nitin Gadkari and Vikas Thakre is likely to be very interesting. However, he suggested that Gadkari may have a slight advantage in winning the election.
Raghunath Lodhi of ‘Dainik Bhaskar’ noted that factionalism has become apparent in this election, particularly impacting the Congress candidate Vikas Thakre. Nonetheless, voters have their own discretion, and they will decide based on their judgment.
Also, journalist Sudarshan Chakradhar expressed the possibility that in the absence of AIMIM, Gadkari’s margin of victory will decrease.
Renowned journalist Ramu Bhagwat has expressed the possibility of a close contest in Nagpur Lok Sabha constituency this time. He called Congress candidate Vikas Thakre an ‘underdog’ against the rival candidate. Although Bhagwat described Thakre as an ‘underdog’, he refused to consider it a one-sided fight. Bhagwat explained that in a democracy we cannot claim victory for anyone.
Public awareness
Citizens of Nagpur have become aware of the issues concerning them, such as unemployment, inflation, and high water and electricity tariffs. While some have voiced their support for Vikas Thakre, some citizens acknowledged Gadkari’s track record in the development of Nagpur. But they emphasized the need to address these pressing issues. While Gadkari’s development initiatives have received praise, the lack of basic amenities and unemployment remain major concerns that require attention.
