Politicians of various hues appear to have taken the proverb “Charity begins at home” seriously when it comes to women empowerment in electoral politics. Or else how do you explain the fact that a majority of the women in the Maharashtra Lok Sabha poll fray are related to either political dynasties or families?For instance, the fiercest political battle being waged in Maharashtra is between prominent women members of the Pawar family in Baramati constituency where NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar’s daughter and three-time MP Supriya Sule is taking on deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar of the NCP (AP).

Elsewhere in the neighbouring Marathwada, Sunetra Pawar’s cousin Padmasinh Patil’s daughter-in-law Archana Patil of the NCP (AP) is battling it out with Shiv Sena (UBT) nominee Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar, who is the cousin of her husband and BJP MLA Rana Jagjitsinh Patil, at Osmanabad.

In Beed constituency of the same region, Pankaja Munde, who is the daughter of late senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde and niece of late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, is taking on Bajrang Sonawane of the NCP (SP).

In Solapur (SC) constituency of western Maharashtra,  Maharashtra’s former Chief Minister and ex-Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s daughter and three-time MLA Praniti Shinde is contesting against BJP’s MLA Ram Satpute.

In Amravati constituency of Vidarbha region, sitting Independent MP Navneet Rana -- who is contesting on a BJP ticket this time around –is the wife of three-time Independent MLA from Badnera Ravi Rana. Navneet Rana is locking horns with Balwant Wankhede, the Daryapur MLA..