Kolhapur’s new political playbook: Footballers dribble in different game

Kolhapur: Football and politics are so intertwined in Kolhapur city that parties zero in on a candidate if they fulfil one more criterion — patronage of the game in one way or another. Undoubtedly, most of the tournaments, involving more than 30 teams and conducted between Dec and April every eyar, are sponsored by politicial heavyweights with deep pockets.
For a long time, many players had descended on the political playground and had been elected corporators, establishing themselves subtly in the game of thrones. However, parties' penchant for players has grown manifold in the last three decades, and now the association with football is one of the parameters while picking nominees for assembly elections.
"Politicians, if not active players in their younger days, step up and sponsor tournaments. The trend is growing. Some even help build local teams. The football teams are mostly from old city areas— Peths—and residents here have a decisive voting strength. Patronage or association with football is one of the criteria the candidate needs to fulfil if he or she is to get votes," Ramesh Pawar, a social activist, said.
Suresh Salokhe, the first Shiv Sena (undivided) MLA in Kolhapur, was associated with football clubs. Malojiraje Chhatrapati, a former MLA, is a long-time patron of Kolhapur Sports Association, which is the managing body for all tournaments. He is also a member of All India Football Federation (AIFF). His wife, Madhurimaraje, was given a ticket by Congress from Kolhapur North for the Nov 20 assembly poll, which she later withdrew. She, too, is on AIFF's women's committee and instrumental in conducting women football tournaments.
Rajesh Kshirsagar, a former Sena (undivided) MLA who is contesting now from Kolhapur North on a Shiv Sena ticket, is associated with Juna Budhwar Football team and holds Rajesh Chashak, the tournament title. Congress's Chandrakant Jadhav, who defeated Kshirsagar in 2019, was himslef a player and was known for his generous help to footballers.
Politicians, after learning the electoral benefit, have started investing in football clubs—mostly by sponsoring tournaments and conferring awards. Prominent among them are Congress MLC Satej Patil, who holds Satej Chashak, and Krishnaraj Mahadik, son of BJP MP Dhananjay Mahadik.
In the olden days of kushti (mud wrestling), talims (training facilities) used to support poll candidates who patronised the sport, Pawar said. "Kushti is replaced by football. The first CM of Maharashtra, Yashwantro Chavan, former MP Udaysinha Gaiwkad, and ex-MLAs Balasaheb Desai and Shripatrao Bondre always extended a helping hand to wrestlers," Pawar said.
In a city where football culture dates back to a hundred years, Pawar said many players such as Manik Mandlik, Chandrakant Salokhe, Umesh Chorge, and Sachin Patil, had gone on to become corporators of the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation.