Maharashtra assembly elections: Vilasrao Deshmukh, Shivraj Patil families fight for 6 Latur seats

Latur: The country's top sugar producer, Latur Lok Sabha constituency, is witnessing conflict between Congress dynasts, with caste and sugar factories playing a big role.

This has long been a bastion of the Congress, and the party leaders are placing their hopes on the popularity of late Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh. Amit Deshmukh, one of his sons, is running against Archana Patil-Chakurkar, the daughter-in-law of Shivraj Patil-Chakurkar, a former Union Home Minister and Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

Patil, a veteran Congress leader is politically inactive but his face is seen on posters of both BJP and Congress candidates.


Amit said Patil sahab himself has stated he is with Congress.

In the Marathwada region, Amit became the most prominent Maratha leader for the Congress after Ashok Chavan defected to the BJP from the Congress.

He is counting on the work done by his father for Latur and his local equations.

"Me and my father have worked for people. My father ushered a new era of development here and I have continued that work," he adds.

With Deshmukh family running six sugar mills in this sugar belt helps this Maratha family in consolidating its position.

Especially in Latur Rural, a Maratha dominated constituency, where Amit's younger brother Dheeraj Deshmukh contesting and sugar mills network of workers and farmers helping his case.

Here he is being challenged by Ramesh Karad, a OBC leader and Latur district BJP President. Karad is nephew of Pune-based education baron Vishwanath Karad.

And to counter Deshmukhs in their backyard, BJP has fielded Archana from Latur City. Now her being a Lingayat and then OBC consolidation in aftermath of Maratha reservation agitation is helping her case.