Know Your MP: Dr. Amol Kolhe Clinches Second Consecutive Victory in Shirur Lok Sabha Elections
Reported By Varad Bhatkhande
Shirur, 5th June 2024: On June 4th, Dr. Amol Kolhe, the Mahavikas Aghadi Candidate from the Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), secured victory in the Shirur Lok Sabha seat by defeating Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil, the Mahayuti candidate from Ajit Pawar’s NCP, with a lead of 1,40,951 votes. Dr. Kolhe garnered a total of 6,98,692 votes.
The election battle had turned intense as both Kolhe and Adhalrao traded accusations, leading to a surge of social media criticisms, taunts in rallies, and heated exchanges in meetings. Despite criticisms against him for allegedly focusing on matters beyond his constituency, Dr. Kolhe earned another chance from the people of Shirur.
In the previous elections in 2019, Dr. Kolhe, supported by Ajit Pawar at that time, also defeated Adhalrao Patil. However, following the split in the NCP, Kolhe remained loyal to Sharad Pawar, leading to a fierce contest with Adhalrao Patil, who was imported into the NCP by Ajit Pawar. Nevertheless, Dr. Kolhe secured his second consecutive victory, largely attributed to people’s sentiment towards veteran leader Sharad Pawar.
Dr. Amol Kolhe was born in Narayangaon, Pune, to Ranjana and Ramsingh Kolhe. He completed his secondary education at Apte School in Pune before pursuing an MBBS degree from King Edward Memorial Hospital and Seth Gordhandas Sunderdas Medical College, Mumbai. Dr. Kolhe transitioned from acting to politics, gaining fame for his portrayals of historical figures like Chhatrapati Shivaji and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj in Marathi TV shows. He also stirred controversy in 2017 by portraying Nathuram Godse in the film “Why I Killed Gandhi.”
In the 2014 Indian General Election, Dr. Kolhe played a significant role as a star campaigner for Shiv Sena. However, in February 2019, he made a pivotal move by joining the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). During the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, he emerged victorious, securing a seat in Parliament from the Shirur constituency by defeating Shivajirao Adhalarao Patil of Shiv Sena. Following the split within the NCP in 2023, led by Ajit Pawar’s departure, Dr. Kolhe initially aligned with him but later reaffirmed his allegiance to Sharad Pawar, publicly expressing his loyalty on social media with the statement, “I am with Saheb.”
As of April 2024, Dr. Kolhe possesses Rs. 40,000 in cash, while his wife holds Rs. 25,000. He owns a Mitsubishi Pajero and a Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle. Kolhe’s immovable property includes agricultural land in Narayangaon and flats in Pune, Mumbai, and Nashik, acquired post his MP tenure. Dr. Kolhe’s movable property amounts to Rs. 82,39,505, while his wife’s is Rs. 48,29,010. Their immovable property totals Rs. 3,60,25,236 and Rs. 3,51,13,500, respectively. Dr. Kolhe carries a debt of Rs. 2,99,65,542.
