It has been a roller-coaster ride for Congress' giant-killer Suresh aka Balubhau Dhanorkar, who won the Chandrapur Lok Sabha constituency beating BJP's sitting minister Hansraj Ahir. He is the grand old only party's only winner in Maharashtra where Congress repeated its Waterloo moment. It has now emerged that the Congress could have lost Chandrapur if a last-minute correction in selection of the candidate was not done. For BJP, the loss must be unbearable because Chandrapur is RSS chief Dr Mohan Bhagwat's native place and the party's forte for years.

Packed with suspense

Known for its unpredictability and autocratic functioning, the Congress high command had ensured anxiety in the Chandrapur camp. Declaration of Dhanorkar's candidature was packed with all the components of a thriller that revolves around suspense and conspiracy. The sitting Sena MLA had agreed to quit his Warora-Bhadravati seat for a Congress ticket. But the Congress bosses in New Delhi and state units had someone else on their excel sheets. They first floated the name of ex-Nagpur MP Vilas Muttemwar's son Vishal, but local party workers resisted his nomination tooth and nail. Then Vinayak Bangde's name cropped up in the official list of nominees, denying Dhanorkar an opportunity. Conspiracy was alleged and the candidature opposed.