In the high-stakes arena of Maharashtra’s Lok Sabha elections in 2019, the spotlight shone brightly on 11 seats where victory and defeat were separated by mere thousands of votes. A departure from the norm, these tight races underscored the significance of each ballot cast and the intense competition that ensued.
Slim Victory Margins in votes, defy Expectations
Traditionally, Lok Sabha victories are often decided by margins in the hundreds of thousands. However, Maharashtra’s electoral landscape witnessed a deviation from this trend, with several seats witnessing victories by razor-thin margins. This anomaly was particularly striking in a state where a single constituency typically hosts a population of 12 to 15 lakhs.
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A Microscopic Margin
The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Lok Sabha seat emerged as the epicenter of this electoral drama. Here, the contest boiled down to a nail-biting finish between Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM candidate, Imtiaz Jalil, and Shiv Sena’s Chandrakant Khaire. With Imtiaz securing 3.89 lakh votes and Khaire closely trailing with 3.84 lakh, the difference of a mere 4,492 votes sealed the fate of this fiercely contested seat.
A Thrilling Trilogy: Close Encounters Across Maharashtra
The saga of close contests extended beyond Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to encompass diverse constituencies across Maharashtra.
- In Raigarh, Sunit Tatkare of the NCP clinched victory over Shiv Sena’s Anant Geete by a margin of 31,438 voter count.
- Amravati witnessed BJP’s Navneet Kaur Rana prevailing over Shiv Sena’s Anandrao Adsul by 36,951 voter count.
- Nanded saw BJP’s Prataprao Chikhalikhar triumphing over Congress’s Ashok by 40,148 votes.
- Parbhani became the battleground where Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Jadhav outshone NCP’s Jadesh Wittekar by 42,199 votes.
- Chandrapur witnessed Suresh Dhanorkar of Congress defeating Hansraj Ahir by 44,763 votes.
- In Gadchiroli Chimur, BJP’s Ashok Nete emerged victorious over Congress’s Dr. Namdev Usendi by 77,526 votes.
- Madha became the theater of BJP’s Ranjit Singh Nimbarkar’s triumph over NCP’s Sanjay Shinde by 85,764 votes.
- Palghar saw Shiv Sena’s Rajendra Gavit besting BVA’s Baliram Jadhav by 88,883 votes.
Nandurbar witnessed BJP’s Heena Gavit overpowering Congress’s KC Padvi by 95,629 votes. - Hatkangale rounded off the narrative with Shiv Sena’s Dhairyasheel Mane securing victory over Raju Shetty by 96,039 votes.
Conclusion: Every Vote Counts
The 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra reaffirmed the adage that every vote counts. Across the state, electoral battles were fought tooth and nail, with victory margins defying conventional wisdom. These narrow victories serve as a poignant reminder of the power of democratic participation and the profound impact of individual choices on shaping the course of governance.
