Maharashtra Elections 2024: Same name game sparks confusion

(Left) Sanjay Kadam, Independent, SS (UBT) leader’s namesake, (middle) Rajesh Wankhede, Shiv Sena (UBT). Pic/Navneet Barhate (right) Rajesh Wankhede, Independent. Pic/Navneet Barhate

As Maharashtra gears up for its November 20 state Assembly elections, identical candidate names are causing confusion in several constituencies. Candidates and party workers worry that namesake contenders could mislead voters and complicate the electoral process. This is not a new problem. A Supreme Court ruling in April rejected a plea to disallow candidates with similar names, leaving no recourse to prevent potential ballot confusion. After several cases of namesake candidates appeared in the general elections earlier this year, local leaders are once again frustrated by a growing list of duplicate names in these state races.

In the Karjat-Jamkhed constituency, Rohit Rajendra Pawar, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SP) candidate and grandnephew of veteran political leader and NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar, is up against another candidate with the same name - Rohit Pawar - adding confusion for voters. In Dapoli, the situation is equally complex, with three candidates named Yogesh Kadam vying for the same seat. Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) candidate and sitting MLA Yogesh Kadam faces competition from two namesakes, Yogesh Ramdas Kadam and Yogesh Vitthal Kadam. Meanwhile, Dapoli's Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate, Sanjay Vasant Kadam, faces a similar issue with two contenders named Sanjay Sambhaji Kadam and Sanjay Sitaram Kadam filing nominations.

(Left) NCP-SP leader Rohit Pawar's namesake contesting polls (middle) Yogesh Kadam, Indepndent, contesting polls (right) Yogesh Kadam of Shiv Sena

Even in Nandgaon, Shiv Sena (Shinde Faction) leader Suhas Dwarkanath Kande faces an independent candidate, Suhas Bapurao Kande. Kande, however, remains confident his supporters won't be misled, and he has appealed to the Election Commission to prevent tactics where individuals with the same name enter the race solely to create confusion. A senior Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) leader, speaking anonymously, remarked, "When our rivals have no way to compete with our strong candidates and are certain of their defeat, they resort to such tactics. This is nothing new, and we do not fear it. Citizens are smart and won't fall prey to dirty politics."

Party candidates warn that the presence of namesake candidates may inadvertently affect voting patterns in constituencies like Ambernath. Rajesh Devendra Wankhede, the Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate, faces Rajesh Abhimanyu Wankhede, an independent candidate in Ulhasnagar's Ambernath area. The UBT candidate voiced his concerns, suggesting the namesake candidate might have been planted to "cut votes." "I have been working hard, and the party trusts me, but now a candidate with a similar name has entered the fray. He may be there to split votes, but I will focus on campaigning with the Mashal symbol and urging voters to recognise and vote for the symbol," Rajesh Devendra Wankhede told mid-day.

However, independent candidate Rajesh Abhimanyu Wankhede rejected these claims, stating he is running a genuine campaign focused on connecting with voters. "I come from a common man's family, and these accusations don't affect me. I plan to speak with the people of Ambernath and gain their trust," he told mid-day. Awaiting his official party symbol, he added, "The UBT candidate is well-known here, so he shouldn't be worried about me." He further dismissed allegations, saying, "I am not planted by anyone. I have been working in Ambernath and will continue to do so."

The Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate also alleged that the independent candidate might be financially supported by the others to create this voting split. "He's been planted by the others and paid for it. He even owns a shop in Ambernath," claimed Rajesh Devendra Wankhede. This isn't the first time such ballot confusion has emerged in Maharashtra elections. During the recent Lok Sabha elections, five individuals named Sanjay Patil filed nominations in the Mumbai North East constituency, where Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Dina Patil ultimately won.

With identical names adding an unusual level of confusion to an already heated campaign, party officials are urging voters to pay close attention to election symbols to ensure they cast their votes correctly. As election day approaches, candidates' strategies will likely focus on differentiating themselves by emphasising their symbols over their names to connect with voters effectively. Tasgaon-Kavathe Mahankal constituency in Sangli district, where Rohit Raosaheb Patil, the son of late NCP leader and former home minister R R Patil, is contesting against Ajit Pawar-led NCP's Sanjay Kaka Patil, three more candidates with similar names as his are also in the fray.

The NCP-SP has been stumped by Rohit Ravsaheb Patil, Rohit Rajgonda Patil, and Rohit Rajendra Patil, who are contesting as Independent candidates. Parties say identical names can confuse voters and cost them dearly if the victory margin is thin. In Pune, Bapusaheb Tukaram Pathare, the NCP-SP candidate from the Vadgaon Sheri Assembly seat, has sought the disqualification of an Independent candidate with an identical name alleging that he has made incomplete disclosures.

Pathare is pitted against MLA Sunil Tingre of Ajit Pawar-led NCP for the November 20 polls. One Bapu Baban Pathare, a resident of Ahilyanagari district, has filed his nomination as an Independent candidate. The election officials, however, have accepted his candidature. In the Parvati constituency in Pune, where NCP-SP leader Ashwini Nitin Kadam is contesting against BJP MLA Madhuri Misal, two more Independent candidates with similar names have filed their nominations. One of them is his namesake ‘Ashwini Nitin Kadam'. The other is Ashwini Vijay Kadam.

With inputs from Agencies