Lok Sabha elections 2024: Eknath Shinde drops two MPs including party’s seniormost

(From left) Hemant Patil, incumbent MP of Hingoli; Bhavana Gawali, Yavatmal-Washim MP; Baburao Kadam Kohalikar, Shinde Sena’s Hingoli candidate; Rajashri Patil, who will contest the Yavatmal-Washim seat

After axing Ramtek's sitting MP, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde dropped Hingoli and Yavatmal-Washim MPs, Hemant Patil and Bhavana Gawali, respectively, to field candidates with ‘more elective' merit. District Shiv Sena chief Baburao Kadam Kohalikar replaced Hemant Patil, whose wife Rajashri was chosen to replace Gawali. The changes stem from the findings of surveys that were done by the allies, primarily the BJP. Ramtek's Krupal Tumane had to go for the same reason. An import from the Congress, Raju Parve, took Tumane's place.

Patil's exit was unceremonious because his name was announced in the party's first list, but Shinde made up for the embarrassment by offering Patil's wife Rajashri a ticket from Yavatmal-Washim, the segment Maharashtra's seniormost Lok Sabha MP, Gawali, 50, held for five consecutive terms since 1999. Gawali and Patil were among the 13 MPs who supported Shinde's rebellion in 2022.

Rajashri Patil's maternal parents hail from Umarkhed in Yavatmal district, which shares a border with Hingoli. She is active in politics and cooperative banking. She heads the Godavari Urban Multi State Credit Co-Op Society Ltd. Hemant Patil's supporters had camped in Mumbai to convince Shinde, but in turn, the CM convinced the outgoing MP with a barter. Gawali wasn't that fortunate. She tried her best to make Shinde change his mind but returned unsuccessful.

Other than Patil, Gawali and Tumane, another Shinde Sena MP, Hemant Godse (Nashik) faces an ouster. His seat is expected to go to the NCP (Ajit Pawar)'s Chhagan Bhujbal. In the first list of candidates, Shinde had retained seven MPs: Sanjay Mandlik (Kolhapur), Sadashiv Lokhande (Shirdi-SC), Prataprao Jadhav (Buldhana), Hemant Patil (Hingoli), Shrirang Barne (Maval), Rahul Shewale (Mumbai South Central) and Dhairyasheel Mane (Hatkanangale). Of these, Hemant Patil is out of the contest.

A person close to the Patils said the party had not given any official message or the AB form required for filing nominations from Yavatmal-Washim. "We haven't received anything yet. Actually, contesting Yavatmal-Washim will be very difficult for us because we don't have a set-up here. Hemant Patil had fully prepared for a contest in Hingoli. In fact, his preparation started two months ago. In such a scenario, the party is bound to lose both Hingoli and Yavatmal-Washim," said a close relative of the Patils.

13
No of MPs who supported Shinde's rebellion