Sena drops MP Gaikwad who slapped Air India staffer

Ravindra Gaikwad  

The Sena dropped controversial member of Parliament (MP) from Osmanabad, Ravindra Gaikwad, who had hit an Air India staffer at New Delhi airport in 2017. Besides, it has made a change in the Hingoli constituency by nominating its member of the Legislative Assembly from the area.

Mr. Gaikwad has been replaced by Om Raje Nimbalkar, the political opponent of the Nationalist Congress Party strongman Padma Sinh Patil, whose son Rana Jagjit Sinh will be contesting.

There are not too many surprises in the Shiv Sena’s first list of 21 candidates announced on Friday for the Lok Sabha elections.

Rajasthan’s dismal track record on women candidates

Participation of women candidates has remained abysmally low in Lok Sabha elections in Rajasthan, though there has been a modest increase over the last couple of decades.

In the past 14 Lok Sabha elections held since 1952, 180 women candidates were in the fray, many among them repeat-nominees, and 28 were elected to the lower house from the state which has 25 constituencies.

The highest 31 women candidates were fielded in 2009 while the figure was just two in 1952 Lok Sabha elections when Sharda Bai and Rani Devi Bhargava contested from Bharatpur-Swai Madhopur and Pali-Sirohi seat respectively.

In Maharashtra, BJP drops 4 sitting MPs

The BJP has replaced four sitting MPs in Maharashtra in its third list of six candidates from the state, and has fielded a woman candidate from Baramati, the bastion of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, against sitting MP Supriya Sule.

The latest list includes 36 candidates from various states.

With six candidates from Maharashtra, the BJP has so far announced names of 22 candidates. The saffron party is contesting 25 out of total 48 seats in alliance with the Shiv Sena, which will fight on rest of the seats.