With less than a week left for the crucial Maharashtra Assembly elections, all eyes are on Brahmapuri, a key constituency in the Chandrapur district. Constituency number 73, Brahmapuri falls under the Gadchiroli-Chimur Lok Sabha constituency and is known for its spirited electoral contests. 

Congress vs BJP 

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress are the dominant forces in Brahmapuri, with Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi (VBA) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) also vying for influence. Congress has fielded the Leader of Opposition and sitting MLA Vijay Namdevrao Wadettiwar, who seeks to retain his seat, while the BJP has nominated Krishnalal Bajirao Sahare to challenge his incumbency. 

Wadettiwar, a senior Congress leader, has represented Brahmapuri since 2014. He secured consecutive victories in the last two elections, with a comfortable margin of 18,549 votes in 2019. Sahare’s entry marks the BJP’s attempt to break Congress’s hold in the constituency and bolster its presence in the Vidarbha region.

Past results

In the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections, Wadettiwar polled 96,726 votes, accounting for 50% of the total votes cast, defeating Shiv Sena’s Sandip Wamanrao Gaddamwar, who received 78,177 votes (40.41%). VBA’s Chandralal Waktuji Meshram and AAAP’s Paromita Goswami trailed far behind, with 3.93% and 1.86% of the votes, respectively. 

Similarly, in 2014, Wadettiwar had defeated BJP’s Atul Devidas Deshkar by 13,610 votes, polling 36.67% of the votes compared to Deshkar’s 29.58%. NCP and BSP candidates were the other significant players in that election, further fragmenting the vote share. 

Constituency overview

The Brahmapuri constituency has seen steady voter participation. In 2019, 71.5% of registered voters turned out to cast their ballots, with 1,93,468 valid votes counted. This marked a slight decline from 2014, which witnessed a 75.16% turnout with 1,95,601 valid votes. The electorate in Brahmapuri also reflects a nearly equal gender distribution, with 95,563 male voters and 96,672 female voters recorded in 2019. 

Key issues 

Brahmapuri’s voters are keenly focused on developmental issues, including infrastructure, rural connectivity, and employment opportunities. As an agriculturally significant region in Vidarbha, concerns over-irrigation and farmer welfare are also likely to play a pivotal role in shaping voter preferences.

Congress is banking on Wadettiwar’s proven track record and his ability to connect with the local populace, while BJP’s Sahare is aiming to capitaliSe on anti-incumbency sentiments and the party’s organiSational strength in the region. 

Brahmapuri, along with the other 287 constituencies in Maharashtra, will go to the polls on November 20, and the results will be declared on November 23.