Godse faces challenge to score a hat-trick

Amid growing unrest among farmers and traders over the Centre's recent decisions on onion exports and widening tension among the Mahayuti partners, the Eknath Shindeled Shiv Sena nominee Hemant Godse faces a tough challenge to score a hat-trick from Nashik constituency.

Godse, who was elected as the Shiv Sena (united) nominee in the 2014 and 2019 elections, is pitted against the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Rajabhau Waje. Incidentally, both hail the politicallyfrom influential Maratha community which has been a dominant player in the constituenсу.

The fight between the two Sena factions is also to tighten their grip in Nashik District which is one of the major onion and grape growing areas and exporting hubs in the country. However, the entry of Shantigiri Maharaj has brought a new twist to the contest. Shantigiri Maharaj is the successor of Janardan Swami with a huge following across the country with 115 ashrams and 7 Gurukuls.

There are 31 candidates in the fray in Nashik. A total of 20,30,124 voters comprising 10,59,048 males and 9,70,996 females will cast their votes on May 20. Godse and Waje however, are struggling to pacify the onion growing farmers who are angry with what they term the Centre's 'switch-on switch-off policies.