Lok Sabha elections 2019: Ahmednagar likely to get its youngest parliamentarian

PUNE: The Ahmednagar Lok Sabha constituency could get its youngest Member of Parliament, with a three-way battle for the seat warming up as the date of filing nominations draws closer.
Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Sujay Vikhe-Patil, Nationalist Congress Party’s Sangram Jagtap and sitting BJP MP Dilip Gandhi’s son Suvendra (independent), all in their thirties, are the high-profile names in the fray.Congressman Yashwantrao Gadakh Patil, who was 41 when he won the seat in 1984, currently holds that distinction.
The constituency has been in a turmoil ever since the election dates were announced. It all started with third-generation leader and son of leader of the opposition party in the Maharashtra assembly, Sujay Vikhe-Patil shifting his allegiance from Congress to BJP after NCP refused to give Congress the seat. The 37-year-old, a practising neurosurgeon, said, “I will work tirelessly and ensure that I do justice to the trust placed in me.”
Sujay’s nomination ruffled feathers in the BJP camp, with Gandhi and his supporters expressing disappointment at the decision. On Sunday, Suvendra broke ranks and announced he would contest the elections as a rebel. “I will compound my father’s legacy in the constituency,” he told TOI.
Suvendra, who is also 37 years old, added, “Citizens have approached my father for every problem, and he has ensured he met them personally and solved it. Such is his following in this constituency. I am sure the supporters would remain loyal to the work and effort he has put in during his tenure.”
He further said he was disappointed in the BJP’s decision to not give his father the ticket, especially since he had been working for the constituency since 1972.
Another youngster in the fray, and Sujay’s biggest threat, is Jagtap, the 35-year old sitting MLA. Jagtap also enjoys the legacy of father, Arun Jagtap, in Ahmednagar and is said to be a strong candidate. A commerce graduate, Jagtap said, “I feel that currently the spirits are high and our work in this region will translate to results and we are sure to sweep the seat by a good margin.”
Also in the fray is Sanjib Bhor, an independent. Bhor, also in his thirties, is the founding director of Shivprahar Sanghatan and was the coordinator of the Maratha Kranti Morcha.