Cong's Muttemwar survives alleged sabotage by party MLAs

Union Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy and six-term Congress MP Vilas Muttemwar has survived the alleged sabotage attempts by his own Congress colleagues to enter the Lok Sabha for the seventh time.     

He has won the Lok Sabha election for the fourth time in succession from city. His party MLAs including former state textiles minister Satish Chaturvedi, Minister for Textiles Anees Ahmed and Minister of State for Home, Nitin Raut had allegedly worked against party interests during April 16 polls.     

Muttemwar, anticipating trouble for him, had complained about his grivenances to the party bosses and shared the same to media. He had written many letters to his party workers saying that attempts have been made to damage his prospects and they should be prepared for the eventuality.     

But the results have shown that he can survive any sabotage. He polled 315,148 votes, lesser by 58,621 votes which he secured during 2004 elections. His winning Margin in 1998 was highest of 163,282 votes which slipped to 72,695 votes in the subsequent election in 1999.     

In 2004, his winning margin was 99,483 and the lowest vote margin so far in his political career since 1980, is 24,399 votes.

Making his debut in Lok Sabha directly in 1980 from Chimur, he had won in 1980, 1984 and 1991 and lost 1996 election. He shifted his base from Chimur to Nagpur and did not look back since 1998. He was also a Union Minister of State for Poverty Allevation in Narasimha Rao government.     

Congress-NCP combine in Vidarbha region, particularly in eastern part of the region has done well compared to western Vidarbha. It has bagged four Congress seats in Nagpur, Ramtek, Wardha and Gadchiroli and NCP has bagged the most prestigious seat of Bhandara-Gondia where high profile senior party leader and Union Minister for Civil Aviation Praful Patel has won.   

Indeed Patel ended his drought after losing two successive defeats in Chimur of 1999 polls and in in Bhandara of 2004 polls. Patel has secured a highest of 4,98.814 votes in his Parliament election career since 1989.     

Former Maharashtra Minister of State for Tribal Welfare Maruti Kowase emerged victoriuos against sitting BJP MLA Ashok Nete in naxal infested Gadchiroli-Chimur constituency.     

NCP's former Rajya Sabha MP Datta Meghe, who was denied ticket and subsequently joined Coongress has won from Wardha seat, which he represented after winning in 1998.     

BJP has bagged Chandrapur and Akola seats while Shiv Sena retained its Yavatmal-Washim seat and bagged Amravati. In Chandrapur Hansraj Ahir has retained his seat for the second term after losing it in 1998 and 1999.