In Maharashtra, how Gavit family is contesting from each Nandurbar seat: BJP to Cong to Independents

At the centre of the Gavit clan is Vijaykumar Gavit, 69, a six-time MLA from Nandurbar (once arsenic an Independent, thrice with the undivided NCP, and doubly with the BJP) who has served arsenic a furniture curate successful Maharashtra nether assorted governments for implicit 2 decades.

In Gavit’s location turf of Nandurbar district, wherever astir 70% of the colonisation are tribals and which has agelong been ranked astatine the bottommost of the state’s Human Development Index, residents person a per capita income astatine conscionable one-tenth of the authorities average, leaving galore heavy babelike connected authorities assistance. This has, for decades, tied the district’s electorate to governmental dynasties, peculiarly the Congress, with the Gandhi household enjoying a important pursuing successful the area. But this has besides fostered a web of governmental fiefdoms, with families similar the Raghuvanshis and Naiks, which included leaders similar Batesingh Raghuvanshi and Surupsingh Naik, wielding sizeable power implicit the territory affairs.

In 1995, Vijaykumar Gavit near his presumption arsenic a prof of medicine conscionable 2 months earlier the authorities Assembly elections to situation the entrenched governmental dominance of the Raghuvanshi and Naik families successful the district. Running arsenic an Independent, helium pulled disconnected a win, marking the opening of his governmental career. His run was supported by his younger brothers – Sharad, a Class IV worker successful the authorities transport corporation, and Rajendra, a clerk successful the authorities secretariat.

After his victory, Gavit initially aligned himself with the BJP-Shiv Sena authorities which inducted him arsenic a Minister of State. However, implicit the years, his governmental travel saw respective shifts. He moved to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and served arsenic a curate nether the Congress-NCP coalition, and successful 2014, helium yet joined the BJP. During this period, Gavit besides encouraged his brothers to contention elections, backing them with tickets from assorted governmental parties.

In 2009, Sharad Gavit represented Nawapur arsenic a Samajwadi Party MLA, past fought the 2014 elections unsuccessfully connected an NCP ticket, and aboriginal contested the 2019 elections arsenic an Independent, again without success. Rajendra Gavit, meanwhile, filed his information for the Shahada spot successful 2014 arsenic a Shiv Sena candidate, but aboriginal jumped vessel to contention arsenic an NCP candidate, lone to beryllium defeated.

That aforesaid year, Vijaykumar managed to unafraid a triumph for his girl Heena, who won the Nandurbar Lok Sabha spot arsenic a BJP campaigner successful 2014 and retained it successful 2019, earlier losing it to the Congress successful 2024.

Now, the Gavit household has acceptable its sights connected the November 20 authorities Assembly polls, with each subordinate contesting from a antithetic constituency successful the district. Vijaykumar is himself contesting connected a BJP summons against the Congress’s Kiran Tadvi successful the Nandurbar seat.

After precocious quitting the BJP, Rajendra is contesting from Shahada arsenic a Congress candidate, taking connected sitting BJP MLA Rajesh Padvi. Sharad is contesting arsenic an Independent from Nawapur, wherever helium volition vie against sitting Congress MLA Shirish Naik and the NCP’s Bharat Gavit.

Heena Gavit is contesting arsenic an Independent successful Akkalkuwa, wherever she volition instrumentality connected the Congress’s sitting MLA K C Padvi and the Shiv Sena’s Aamshya Padvi.

In her information speech, Heena expressed assurance astir her chances. “We person a beardown accidental of dethroning the sitting MLA. The Shiv Sena’s section portion has been unhelpful and worked against the BJP successful the Lok Sabha elections. We person a stronger assertion connected this seat, arsenic the Sena has nominated idiosyncratic who was defeated successful the erstwhile election. It is for these reasons that I person decided to discontinue the BJP and combat this predetermination arsenic an Independent.”

While the Gavit household asserts that their information is the improvement of Nandurbar, respective locals look to onslaught a discordant note.

“Dr Gavit is simply a subsister successful politics,” says Geetesh More, a section activist. “By fielding household members crossed assorted parties, he’s hedging his bets. No substance which mode the electoral tide turns, astatine slightest 1 idiosyncratic from the household volition beryllium connected the winning side.”