Deshmukh, Minister of State for Finance, is taking on President Pratibha Patil's son Rajendrasinh Shekhawat, the official Congress candidate, in Amravati constituency of Vidarbha as an Independent.
It was a mixed bag for 11 seats with more than 35 percent Muslim voters, where six candidates of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi emerged victorious in the Maharashtra assembly polls on Saturday, while four seats went to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti alliance.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has opted not to grant tickets to eight MLAs, followed by Congress which replaced five MLAs.
In the past too, Bhide has drawn flak for his controversial comments.
Denying the charge of backing rebel of Congress leader Sunil Deshmukh against the candidature of President Pratibha Patil's son Raosaheb Shekhawat from Amravati in Maharashtra assembly polls, Union Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said on Tuesday that party workers should learn to accept the party's decision.
President Pratibha Patil's son is fighting on a Congress ticket against the powerful two-term sitting Member of Legislative Assembly and Maharashtra Finance Minister Sunil Deshmukh, who has quit the party to contest as an independent. A R Rahman made it a part of his Oscar awards acceptance speech. But not many imagined that the politics of Amravati would revolve around Salim-Javed's immortal dialogue in the Hindi blockbuster Deewar: "Mere paas maa hai!"
Sons and daughters of top leaders made a political debut tasting victory in the Maharashtra assembly polls carrying forward dynastic politics with President Pratibha Patil's son Rajendra Singh Shekawat leading the pack.
Despite concerted efforts by senior Congress leaders, rebel Maharashtra minister Sunil Deshmukh did not withdraw his candidature for the October 13 assembly election from the Amravati seat where he takes on President Pratibha Patil's son Rajendrasinh Shekhawat. Bharatiya Janata Party rebel Vinay Natu and Shiv Sena rebel Pradeep Jaiswal are still in the fray.
The minister was addressing a gathering at Amravati after unfurling the tri-colour on the Independence Day. Farmers in the district have received Rs. 26.55 crore (Rs 265.5 million) thus far. As for irrigation, 126 projects in the division have been approved and 94 of them have been completed, Deshmukh said adding work on 13 projects in Amravati district was in progress.
The Maharashtra unit of the Congress on Thursday suspended 16 rebels, including a minister and a Member of Legislative Assembly, for six years from the party, for contesting against official candidates in the assembly elections.State Finance Minister Sunil Deshmukh, who is contesting against Rajendra Shekhawat, son of President Pratibha Patil from Amravati, and sitting MLA Rajiv Rajale, who is in fray as a rebel from Shegaon in Ahmednagart district, were among the 16 rebels.
The Congress is acting against its own candidate in Amravati and President's son Raosaheb Shekhawat, Bharatiya Janata Party general secretary Gopinath Munde said on Monday.
The Congress leadership has given President Pratibha Patil's son Rajendra Shehawat for the Amravati Assembly seat in Maharashtra.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan on Thursday said his ministerial colleague Sunil Deshmukh would face disciplinary action by the party if he contests against Rajendrasingh Shekhawat, son of President Pratibha Patil, in the October 13 assembly elections.
President Pratibha Patil's son Rajendra alias Raosaheb Shekhawat, who is contesting from Amravati constituency on a Congress ticket, is worth Rs 6.68 crore. Shekhawat's movable property is valued at Rs 1.36 crore and his immovable assets are worth Rs 5.32 crore, said the affidavit sworn by him at the time of filing of nomination.
Deepak Amrapurkar, the Bombay Hospital gastroenterologist had slipped into an open manhole while wading through the water-logged streets near Elphinstone Road station.
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