In the recent Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, seven out of the 17 women candidates fielded by major political parties emerged victorious.
The Congress party fielded four women candidates, all of whom won their respective seats. This success highlights the strong support for female candidates within the Congress and their ability to connect with voters.
Supriya Sule of the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) won the Baramati seat for the fourth consecutive time. She defeated Sunetra Pawar, her cousin's wife, by a margin of 1,58,333 votes, slightly improving her victory margin from the 2019 elections.
The BJP had the highest number of women candidates, fielding six. However, only two of them, Smita Wagh and Raksha Khadse, won from Jalgaon and Raver constituencies respectively. Khadse had a significant victory margin of 2,87,183 votes.
Varsha Gaikwad, the Congress' Mumbai unit president, won the Mumbai North-Central seat by defeating BJP candidate Ujjwal Nikam. Gaikwad's victory by a margin of 16,514 votes underscores her strong influence in Mumbai politics.
Pratibha Dhanorkar of the Congress won the Chandrapur seat, which was previously held by her late husband. She defeated BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar by a substantial margin of 2,60,406 votes, continuing her family's political legacy.
BJP's senior leader Pankaja Munde lost from the Beed constituency, a seat the party had held since 2009. Despite support from her cousin Dhananjay Munde, she was defeated by NCP (SP) candidate Bajarang Sonawane by 6,553 votes.
The BJP faced significant losses as its prominent women candidates, including Union Minister Bharati Pawar and sitting MPs Heena Gavit and Navneet Rana, were defeated. These results reflect challenges the BJP faces in retaining its strongholds.
Shiv Sena (UBT) and the faction led by Eknath Shinde fielded several women candidates, but they failed to secure victories. Notable losses include Rajshri Patil and Yamini Jadhav, indicating a need for stronger campaign strategies.
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