Nashik: Nandurbar Lok Sabha seat in North Maharashtra is poised to witness an interesting contest between two Gavits - a veteran Congress MP seeking a record tenth term and a debutante candidate from BJP - for the April 24 election.
Senior Congress leader and Union Minister of State for Social Justice Manikrao Hodlya Gavit (80), who has won the tribal-dominated seat nine consecutive times since 1984, has again been given the party ticket.
In Nandurbar constituency, a reserved seat for scheduled tribes, total nine candidates are in the fray, but the main fight is between Manikrao Gavit and BJP`s 26-year-old Dr Heena Gavit, who is contesting for the first time.
Heena is the daughter of former senior minister in state Cabinet, Vijaykumar Gavit, who was sacked by the NCP last month after she joined the BJP and got a ticket from Nandurbar LS seat.
Manikrao Gavit is trying hard to register his 10th win from the constituency and set a record.
"The adivasis still have trust in me. I have done many development works in the area and will continue to do so," the veteran leader said.
Both the main contestants have been campaigning by approaching voters door-to-door, conducting public meetings and taking out padyatras assuring voters overall development.
Vijaykumar Gavit has also started campaigning for his daughter in the constituency, having six Assembly segments of Akkalkuva, Shahada, Navapur, Nandurbar, Sakri and Shirpur, to give a tough fight to the Congress veteran.
Heena says she wants to work in the constituency for the tribals who are deprived of development works. "I have to solve various health problems too since I am a medical practitioner," she said. The total electorate in the constituency as on January 1, 2014, is 16,45,449, including 8,06,349 women.
