Nitin Gadkari Collapses During Maharashtra’s Yavatmal Election Rally

Nitin Gadkari, the Union Roadways Minister, recently caused a stir after posting on X (formerly Twitter) following a rally in Pusad, Maharashtra. He expressed discomfort due to the heat at the rally but assured the public of his good health as he prepared to leave for Varud to attend the next meeting. Earlier in the year, there had been speculation about Mr. Gadkari’s political future when the BJP delayed naming him as its Nagpur Lok Sabha candidate. Former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray even cheekily invited Mr. Gadkari to join the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), an alliance of Congress, the formerly undivided Shiv Sena, and Nationalist Congress Party, and assured him of victory.

Subsequently, Mr. Gadkari was named in the party’s list, and in response to Mr. Thackeray’s offer, he called it “immature” and “ridiculous”. He emphasized the BJP’s system for poll tickets and assured his rival that there was no need to worry about him. The political landscape in Maharashtra involves the Mahayuti alliance consisting of the BJP, the Shinde-led Sena, and the Nationalist Congress Party breakaway unit led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Amid this, there is a scramble to finalize a seat-share deal before the nomination deadline for the fifth phase of the election.

Notably, six seats, including Nashik, Thane, and Mumbai South, remain hotly contested. The Sena faction is particularly interested in Nashik and Thane and is hopeful about Mumbai South. Looking ahead, the second phase of polling in the eastern part of Maharashtra will include important seats like Amravati, Hingoli, Nanded, and Yavatmal-Washim. As the political developments unfold, the BJP and its state allies are actively navigating through the complexities of seat allocation and the broader electoral landscape in Maharashtra.