MUMBAI: Senior Congress leaders Narayan Rane and Harshwardhan Patil were two of the fourteen former Maharashtra ministers, who have lost this year’s state Assembly elections.
While former Industries Minister Narayan Rane lost to Vaibhav Naik of Shiv Sena from Kudal constituency, former Co-operation minister and sitting MLA Harshawardhan Patil lost to Dattatraya Bharne of NCP by a margin of about 14,000 votes in Indapur.
Apart from Rane and Patil, twelve other former ministers in the erstwhile Congress-NCP government were trounced at the hustings.
NCP heavyweight from Navi Mumbai and former Excise Minister Ganesh Naik lost his Belapur seat to Manda Mhatre of BJP.
Former Health Minister Suresh Shetty (Congress) came a poor third in Andheri East as Ramesh Latke of Shiv Sena won the seat polling 52,817 votes, followed by Sunil Yadav of BJP.
Former Minister of state for Relief and Rehabilitation Suresh Dhas (NCP) lost to BJP’s Bhimrao Donde in Ashti in Beed district.
Former Social Justice Minister Shivajirao Moghe (Congress) was defeated by BJP’s Raju Todsam in Arni in Yavatmal district.
Former Sports Minister Padmakar Valvi of Congress was defeated in Shahada constituency, losing to Udaysing Kocheru of BJP.
Former Tourism Minister Sanjay Deotale, who had switched to BJP on the eve of elections, lost to Shiv Sena’s Suresh Dhanorkar in Warora. Former Food and Civil Supplies Minister Anil Deshmukh (NCP) lost to his nephew Ashish Deshmukh of BJP in Katol in Nagpur district. . Former School Education Minister Rajendra Darda (Congress) lost to BJP’s Atul Save from Aurangabad East.
Former Employment Guarantee Scheme (EGS) Minister Nitin Raut lost to Milind Mane of BJP in Nagpur North.
Minister of State for Tribal Welfare Rajendra Gavit (Congress) lost to Krishna Ghoda of Shiv Sena in Palghar.
Minister of state for housing Sachin Ahir (NCP) was defeated in Worli by Sunil Shinde of Shiv Sena. Former Minister of state for Home Satej Patil of Congress was defeated by Amal Mahadik of BJP in Kolhapur South.
However, some of the former ministers managed to retain their seats.
Even as NCP suffered reverses in its citadel of Pune district with just three seats in its kitty out of the 21, party leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar romped home with a thumping margin of about 90,000 votes in the family pocket-borough of Baramati.
Former Home Minister R R Patil (NCP), who fought a tough battle in Tasgaon assembly in Sangli district, won by a margin of 22,410 votes. He polled 1,08,310 votes as against BJP’s Ajit Ghorpade who got 85,900 votes.
Ahead of the polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had campaigned for the BJP candidate in Tasgaon.
Former Rural Development Minister Jayant Patil also retained his Islampur assembly seat by 75,186 votes. Patil polled 1,13,045 votes as against his independent rival Abhijit Patil who got 37,859 votes.
In Palus Kadegaon constituency in Sangli district, senior Congressman Patangrao Kadam won by margin of 24,034 votes. He polled 1,12,523 votes as against BJP’s Prithviraj Deshmukh who got 88,489 votes.–PTI
