In a surprising twist, what began as a straightforward electoral showdown between the NCP and BJP in the Wardha parliamentary constituency has now devolved into a familial feud, pitting father-in-law against daughter-in-law. Pooja Shendre Tadas, 32, the daughter-in-law of BJP candidate Ramdas Tadas, has decided to run independently.
 
Last week, a matter that had been whispered about in Wardha suddenly reverberated throughout the entire state when Pooja, on Thursday, publicly accused the Tadas family of harassment, assault, and torture. She also voiced concerns about threats to her own and her seventeen-month-old son’s safety. This shift from caste politics to personal dynamics injects a high-pitched family drama into the already heated battle for power and prestige.

The politics of Wardha
Since 1952, the Wardha constituency has seen political shifts, with Congress dominating for 38 years until 1989. Vasant Sathe led the party’s representation until then. In 1991, CPI broke Congress’s streak, followed by BJP’s Vijay Mudhe in 1996. Dutta Meghe reclaimed it for Congress in 1998, succeeded by Prabha Rau in 1999. BJP’s Ramdas Tadas has held the seat since 2014.