Latur, a significant Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra, has been gaining attention for its unique educational system. It’s renowned as the home turf of seasoned politicians, having produced three Chief Ministers for Maharashtra. The Congress party secured this position in 1985 with Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar, and later in 1999 and 2004. Vilasrao Deshmukh, another prominent figure, represented Maharashtra from Latur. Notably, Latur’s politicians have wielded influence both within the state and nationally, holding key positions like Home Minister, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, and various ministerial roles in the central and state governments. Former Punjab Governor, Shivraj Patil Chakurkar, also hails from Latur, adding to its political prominence.
Akashwani correspondent reports that latur Lok Sabha is a significant area in Maharashtra’s Marathwada region. Shivraj Patil Chakurkar, a former Lok Sabha Speaker and Union Home Minister, represented this area in Parliament for a record seven times. Since 2009, Latur has been a reserved constituency for Scheduled Castes. This constituency includes six assembly constituencies: Latur City, Latur Rural, Nilanga, Ahmedpur, Udgir, and Loha-Kandahar of Nanded District. Ausa Assembly Constituency of Latur District falls under Osmanabad Lok Sabha Constituency. In the last 15 Lok Sabha elections, Congress candidates have won 11 times. Shivraj Patil Chakurkar from Congress won seven consecutive elections from 1980 to 2004. BJP won thrice and the Shetkari Kamgar Party won once. This time, there are 28 candidates contesting in Latur Lok Sabha constituency. Dr. Shivaji Kalge from Indian National Congress, Sudhakar Shringare from BJP, and Vishwanath Mahadev Alte from Rashtriya Bahujan Samaj Party are the main contenders. There are a total of 19,69,177 voters in Latur Lok Sabha Constituency, including 1,029,961 male voters, 935,775 female voters, 63 third gender voters, 3,368 service voters, and 17,473 divyang voters. Water scarcity is a major issue in the district, which is known for its frequent droughts. In 2016, during a severe drought, Latur’s water scarcity gained national attention, and water had to be transported to the area by train. Other important election issues include the alleged sale of the Marathwada railway bogie factory to a Russian company, stalled industrial development, water supply from Ujani Dam, the Shaktipeeth highway passing through the district, and Maratha reservation. Voting for Latur Constituency will take place in the third phase on May 7.
