Dindori (ST) constituency in Maharashtra is being keenly watched for its tribal profile, where the BJP is fighting the battle to retain the seat by fielding an NCP turncoat against CPI (M) leader Jeeva Pandu Gavit for the April 29 Lok Sabha elections. The tribal-dominated Dindori taluka is part of Nashik district in north Maharashtra. In two general elections held in 2009 and 2014, Dindori, which was formed after delimitation in 2008, elected BJP’s Harishchandra Chavan on both the occasions.
However, this time, Chavan was not renominated by the BJP which has instead given a ticket to Bharti Pawar, a former leader of the NCP. Pawar is squaring off against Gavit, a seven-time MLA, and Dhanraj Mahale of the NCP. In the 2009 contest, Jeeva Pandu Gavit polled 1,05,352 votes aginst Chavan whose winning tally stood at 2,81,254 votes. In 2014 polls, Pawar was the first runner-up from the constituency who polled 1,95,165 votes. The CPI (M)’s Hemant Waghere had finished third by bagging 72,599 votes.