Lok Sabha elections 2024: Tale of two royals

Rajarshi Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Bhosale and Chhatrapati Udayan Raje Bhosale

The erstwhile Maratha empire seats of Satara and Kolhapur are in the news again for their political ambitions. The head of Satara throne and Rajya Sabha member, Chhatrapati Udayan Raje Bhosale is upset because the BJP is unwilling to part with a Lok Sabha seat for him. His Kolhapur counterpart Rajarshi Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Bhosale is likely to be fielded as the Maha Vikas Aghadi candidate.

Both royal families who are descendants of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, have been active in politics. The Satara royals, Udayan Raje, his uncle Abhaysinh Raje and cousin Shivendra Raje had a good run.

Udayan Raje was a minister of state in the first Shiv Sena-BJP government. He represented the NCP in the Lok Sabha. In 2019, he quit the party and Lok Sabha membership to join the BJP. But he lost a by-poll to NCP's Shrinivas Patil. The by-poll was held simultaneously with the Assembly elections. The cousins campaigned together. Shivendra Raje won the Satara Assembly seat for BJP, but Udayan Raje lost to the former MP, governor and a close friend of Sharad Pawar.

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BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Udayan Raje. File pic

Within six months, the BJP rehabilitated him with a Rajya Sabha seat. Now, he wants to contest the Lok Sabha election again against the wishes of the party. BJP's new ally NCP-Ajit Pawar has demanded the segment and the BJP too is desirous to field its candidate.

Considering Udayan Raje's rebellious mood, the BJP sent an emissary, senior minister Girish Mahajan to Satara on Monday. Mahajan attempted to pacify the MP, said people in the BJP, adding that the leadership was still not sure about the Satara strongman's next move. The minister also met Shivendra Raje.

Mahajan told the media persons that he met Udayan Raje to discuss the campaign plan for the Satara and neighbouring constituencies. "His influence will benefit the party. We discussed how to go about it," he said, attributing the same reason for meeting Shivendra Raje.

The MVA partners are understood to have reached an understanding that the Congress would give Shiv Sena (UBT) Sangli in exchange for Kolhapur from where Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj is likely to contest as the consensus candidate. Shahu Maharaj's elder son Sambhaji Raje was nominated by the BJP in the Rajya Sabha when the Maratha quota agitation was at its peak in 2016. The father was not in the BJP's favour and consistently took a position to criticise the current regime. His younger son Maloji Raje represented Congress in the Assembly in 2004 but lost the next election.

The Kolhapur seat's Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj (4th) is known for implementing social reforms such as a reservation for the backward classes in jobs and education, before independence. He is invoked together with Mahatma Phule and Dr B R Ambedkar by the progressive activists and politicians.

However, on Monday, the Congress workers in Sangli raised a banner of revolt against the party's decision. They demanded that the constituency remain with the Congress instead of going to the Sena (UBT) that has announced wrestler Chandrahar Patil's candidature.

State Congress President Nana Patole said the party hadn't yet given up. "Sangli is our constituency where Vishal Patil will contest," he added, without explaining the status of Kolhapur where the Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe had confirmed the nomination of Shahu Maharaj.