Lok Sabha elections 2024: Tale of two royals

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 candidateBoth 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 runUdayan Raje was a minister of state in the first Shiv SenaBJP 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 bypoll to NCPrsquos Shrinivas Patil The bypoll 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 PawarAlso Read Lok Sabha elections 2024 Maharashtra promises to be deciding factor BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Udayan Raje File picWithin 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 BJPrsquos new ally NCPAjit Pawar has demanded the segment and the BJP too is desirous to field its candidateConsidering Udayan Rajersquos 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 strongmanrsquos next move The minister also met Shivendra RajeMahajan told the media persons that he met Udayan Raje to discuss the campaign plan for the Satara and neighbouring constituencies ldquoHis influence will benefit the party We discussed how to go about itrdquo he said attributing the same reason for meeting Shivendra RajeThe 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 Maharajrsquos 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 BJPrsquos 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 electionThe Kolhapur seatrsquos 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 politiciansHowever on Monday the Congress workers in Sangli raised a banner of revolt against the partyrsquos decision They demanded that the constituency remain with the Congress instead of going to the Sena UBT that has announced wrestler Chandrahar Patilrsquos candidatureState Congress President Nana Patole said the party hadnrsquot yet given up ldquoSangli is our constituency where Vishal Patil will contestrdquo he added without explaining the status of Kolhapur where the Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe had confirmed the nomination of Shahu Maharaj