Union Minister Nitin Gadkari is preparing to file his nomination for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Maharashtra's Nagpur constituency on Wednesday. Gadkari prayed at his residence before filing his nomination for the Nagpur Lok Sabha constituency. Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis, state BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule, and NCP leader Praful Patel were also present during the rituals.
News agency ANI posted a video in which, Gadkari's wife, Kanchan Gadkari can be seen applying "Vijay Tilak" to Union Minister and other party leaders.
Watch The Video Here:
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari is running for a third term in the Lok Sabha from the Nagpur LS constituency, which includes the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray had chastised the BJP for failing to include Gadkari on the party's first list, even offering him a contest from the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
Following the delay in naming his challenger, the Congress has decided to field Vikas Thakre, a sitting MLA from Nagpur West. There is no safe seat in elections. Thakre stated, "I have been given a responsibility by the party, and I will fulfill it with all my strength".
In the first phase, Nagpur, Gadchiroli-Chimur (ST), Bhandara-Gondiya, Chandrapur, and Ramtek (SC) will vote in Maharashtra. The deadline to file nominations for these seats is March 27.
Following the delay and suspense over candidate names, reports of infighting, and senior leaders opting out of the battle, the opposition Congress is set to face its first test when it contests all five seats from east Vidarbha in the first phase of general elections in Maharashtra.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will contest four of the five seats, while the Shiv Sena, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, will contest one.