Not sympathy, we’ve worked hard for Chandrapur,' says Pratibha Dhanorkar

The unexpected loss of her husband in May 2023 and the intense political rivalry with BJP heavyweight Sudhir Mungantiwar leading up to the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2024 are not the only challenges Congress candidate Pratibha Dhanorkar is confronting She is also embroiled in a fierce struggle within the local party unit over her candidature for the Chandrapur seatDhanorkar the widow of the late Suresh lsquoBalursquo Dhanorkar who secured the sole victory for Congress in the western state during the 2019 general election was granted candidacy due to her husbandrsquos untimely demise Additionally she is also the MLA from WaroraCongressrsquos Chandrapur candidate Pratibha Dhaorkar interacting with party workers PicSatej ShindeIn an interview with midday Dhanorkar emphasised that despite being mocked by her opponents and BJP leaders she is not seeking votes based on sympathy but rather based on the work she and her husband have tirelessly undertaken for their constituencies Speaking to midday after a tiring rally in the Balharshah area Dhanorkar asserts she wonrsquot relinquish the seat as itrsquos not just an electoral contest between Dhanorkar and Mungantiwar but a battle between dictatorship and democracyYour political opponent is BJP candidate Sudhir Mungantiwar who boasts a sixterm tenure as MLA and has held significant ministerial positions including Forest Cultural Affairs and Fisheries in Maharashtra How do you anticipate the battle will unfoldSudhir Mungantiwar stands before me as a candidate a seasoned leader in Maharashtra politics with vast experience Hence my battle wont be an easy one However I dont view it as Dhanorkar versus Mungantiwar fight To me its a fight between democracy and dictatorship I draw strength from times of struggle the greater the challenge the greater the victoryMungantiwar has time and again said that people will not repeat the mistake of voting for Congress What would you sayPeople are not relying on the BJP to dictate their voting choices They have seen the work accomplished during my four and a half years in office Hence they will exercise caution this time to avoid making the mistake of voting for the BJP Mungantiwar also said that there is a wave of antiincumbency and that the constituency has been neglected by the sitting public representativesNeglected how Mungantiwar and the BJP need to substantiate their claims They boast that significant development projects have been undertaken for the constituency by them I challenge them to specify these developments Simply erecting buildings does not equate to development True development is evidenced by the creation of more job opportunities and an improvement in the standard of living for the people in the constituency We have successfully brought in development projects worth crores and also got projects that helped in the creation of job opportunities for approximately 10000 to 15000 individualsYou faced strong opposition from within your party before being given the ticket from Chandrapur Last month you even said that these intraparty opponents are on the BJP payroll Whats the situation nowThat was all before the candidature was decided upon Instead of delving deep into the issue I would like to emphasise that everyone has the right to demand and assert their claim for the seat they wish to contest However since I filed the nomination everyone has rallied in my supportThere have been discussions in political circles about a potential sympathy factor working in your favour How do you perceive thisI lost my husband suddenly and it has profoundly impacted my life However I want to clarify that I am not leveraging his death for votes I am not seeking sympathy rather I aim to uphold his legacy He won the seat and I am determined not to let it slip into the hands of the BJP again Mungantiwar even commented on my breaking down while talking to the media A woman who has lost her husband might tend to feel sad and break down It was not for sympathy Also I would like to tell my rivals Me radnaari naahi tar ladhnaari aahe I am not someone who cries but someone who fightsWhat do you consider important issues for the LS election in the constituency that you would want to focus onThere are numerous pressing issues in the constituency For instance the region has long struggled with water woes yet there has been no permanent solution implemented Additionally there are concerns regarding increasing pollution from thermal power plants and the need for better wildlife protection Humanwildlife conflicts are prevalent especially in villages near the TadobaAndhari Tiger Reserve borders and corridors These communities are at the forefront of such conflicts and require communityfocused preventive measures Despite serving as the Minister of Forest Mungantiwar has not taken concrete steps to address these issues Just getting film stars and building resorts might increase tourism but not resolve these issues