Lok Sabha elections 2024: ‘I’m not an outsider. I spent 26 years here’

The second phase of Lok Sabha elections scheduled for April 26 promises to be a challenging battle particularly for Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as he strives to maintain unity within the Sena faction under his leadership following the necessity to pick and drop candidates as per the BJPrsquos directivesUnder pressure from ally the BJP the Sena replaced their sitting fivetime MP Bhavana Gawali despite her eleventhhour attempts to retain the ticket In a surprising move the Sena then picked Rajashri Patil the wife of Hemant Patil the sitting MP from Hingoli for the seat replacing GawaliPatil a wellknown businessperson and philanthropist steps into a constituency formerly led by another leader facing criticism and accusations of being an outsider However in an interview with midday she countered these remarks stating that she is not unfamiliar with the constituency as Yavatmal is her maternal home and she completed her early education there She says she is a daughter of Yavatmal and grew up hereWhat do you consider as significant issues that you would prioritise in the constituencyThere is a lot to be done in this region to shed the tag of being backward and underdeveloped My priorities include creating employment opportunities for youth and women establishing industries based on local agricultural produce like cotton soyabean and toor and revitalising the deteriorating MIDC belts Talukas lacking MIDC infrastructure will receive priority for their establishments to generate local employment Additionally improving and constructing roads ensuring water for irrigation and other purposes and increasing the number of schools are crucial Although Yavatmal has been approved for a Kendriya Vidyalaya the lack of proper infrastructure remains a concernYour candidacy from YavatmalWashim seat was a lastminute and unexpected one What is the response you have been getting from people on the groundDespite the unexpected nature of my candidacy Irsquove been heartened by the positive response from the people during my campaign visits They see me as one of their own given my longstanding ties to the region Yavatmal has been my maternal home for over 26 years where I spent my childhood and received my early education Irsquove been actively involved in various educational and social activities here and many locals recognise my work For instance I spearheaded efforts to rejuvenate the Pus River in PusadYour rival has labelled you an outsider calling you a ldquobahercha productrdquoThe people Irsquove met during my campaign regard me as a familiar face not an outsider thanks to my extensive involvement in social work I pay little heed to such criticism from rivals who seem to lack substantive issues to discuss Elections should focus on developmental agendas not trivial matters Labeling someone especially a woman as a ldquoproductrdquo is not only disrespectful but also reflects a narrow mindset Itrsquos an insult not just to me but to all women who transition to their marital homesPrime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP leaders in the state are confident of securing victory in all 10 seats in Vidarbha What do you thinkOne of the voices in the ldquo400 paarrdquo call will undoubtedly be from the YavatmalWashim constituency We are definitely going to win all 10 seats in Vidarbha Despite over seven decades since the independence the real development of the country has rocketed only during the last ten years So people will want to see Modi government back