Sushil Shinde's absence, split in Muslim vote: Problems aplenty for Praniti Shinde in Maharashtra's Solapur

Praniti Shinde made her debut in the Lok Sabha polls and won the seat previously represented by her father until 2014.

Solapur, a city in south-west Maharashtra, is one of the battlegrounds witnessing a fierce contest between the MVA and Mahayuti alliances.

The BJP captured the seat from Congress in 2014 and 2019, capitalizing on the "Modi Wave" and the division of votes caused by the AIMIM-VBA alliance.

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Sushilkumar Shinde, a former CM and Home Minister, has been an influential figure in state politics.

With Shinde now retired from active politics, the onus is on his daughter, Praniti, to ensure her party’s performance in Solapur.

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She made her debut in the last Lok Sabha polls and won the seat previously represented by her father until 2014.

There are a total of eleven assembly constituencies in Solapur district.

Praniti Shinde has represented the Solapur Central seat since 2009.

However, after her elevation as an MP, the party had to find a new candidate for the seat.

Shaukat Pathan, a prominent Muslim leader within the Congress in Solapur, was hopeful of securing the ticket, given the significant minority population in the constituency.

However, the party ultimately nominated Chetan Narote. Disappointed, Pathan filed his nomination as an independent candidate.

Although Pathan later withdrew his nomination, he joined AIMIM and announced his support for AIMIM candidate Farooq Shabdi.

This development has created concerns for Praniti, as the AIMIM candidate could split the Muslim votes on which Congress traditionally relies.

In 2019, a similar division of votes by the AIMIM-VBA candidate contributed to her father’s loss of the Solapur Lok Sabha seat.

Another challenge for Praniti is the "friendly fight" between Congress and CPM. In some constituencies within both alliances, more than one constituent party has fielded candidates. Solapur Central is one such seat.

While both Congress and CPM are part of the MVA, each has put forth a candidate here. Narsayya Adam, also known as Adam Master, is a prominent leftist leader in Solapur running on the CPM ticket.

Congress is encountering similar issues in other constituencies within Solapur.

While the party hopes to capitalize on the resentment among Marathas in rural areas, the Mahayuti is betting on its Ladki Bahin Yojana as a potential game-changer.

Additionally, fractures within the MVA are evident, as Praniti Shinde is not campaigning for Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Amar Patil, with her supporters backing independent candidate Dharmaraj Kadadi, who supported Praniti in previous Lok Sabha polls.

The Congress’s position in Solapur has become more challenging, especially as Sushilkumar Shinde has withdrawn from the campaign due to age.