Ashok Chavan staring isolation in BJP
Former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan who was viewed as a powerful leader helding considerable influence over Nanded has found himself in complete isolation in BJP ahead of upcoming Assembly polls after his loyalists- ex- MLA Omprakash Pokarna and Minal Patil- Khatgaonkar, former Nanded MP Bhaskarrao Patil- went back to the Congress last week.
The move which appears months after the NDA’s heavy defeat in the recent Lok Sabha elections held in Maharashtra, which has appeared as a severe shock for the campaign of the ruling Mahayuti, which hoped to grab the Marathwada region from the Congress with Ashok Chavan’s involvement.
Moving on, meanwhile Patil- Khatgaonkar is Ashok Chavan’s brother-in-law and a proficient leader who has a good amount of influence in Degloor, Naigaon and Mukhed tehsil of the district, Minal who is his daughter-in-law was annoyed with the BJP for negating her a Lok Sabha ticket. Pokarna is very influential among the Jain and Marwari communities, and is seen to create a meaningful portion of the electorate in the region.
Patil- Khatgaonkar said that Congress feels like a home to him after rejoining it. Congress gave him the ample amount of opportunity to serve as an MLA,MP and minister. Even though he had briefly joined another party, he feels that he has come back home.
Picture credit: India Today
As it was seen in February, they had applauded the inlet of Ashok Chavan- who was well known for his brilliant poll planning and organisational insights in the state Congress. The meticulous role of Ashok Chavan has been no less than a masterstroke and subsequently was elevated to Rajya Sabha. This move seem to have been a backfire as it considerably made the way for other regional Congress leaders, who has been under the former CM’s guidance, to flourish forward.
The collective leadership of Congress, which was led by MLA Amit Deshmukh, allied with the influence of the Maratha quota protest led by activist Manoj Jarange- Patil has seen the party win three- Nanded, Jalna and Latur- out of the seven seats in the recent Lok Sabha elections.
President of the State Congress, Nana Patole inaugurated Patil- Khatgaonkar as a grassroot leader, who went back to the party without anticipating any position in it. He said that the decision to re-include Patil was taken aback just after its discussion with the senior Congress leaders. His arrival will increase the motivation of the party’s organisation in Nanded and will help it win more seats in the upcoming Assembly elections.
Even though Ashok Chavan asserted that Patil- Khatgaonkar was very much free to take his decision. The Lok Sabha loss in Nanded, which was represented by the former CM in Lok Sabha between 2014 and 2019, seemed to have further crushed his image. However the death of reigning MP Vasant Chavan has provided a smooth opportunity in the bypoll, which is supposed to be held with the Assembly elections.
Furthermore, as in a bad condition in Marathwada due to the Maratha quota protest that erupted, the BJP is relying on Ashok Chavan to expand its prospects in the region in the upcoming Assembly polls. It received the much required energy after former Congress’ Degloor MLA Jitesh Antapurkar last month joined its ranks and even another legislator is on his way out of the grand old party.
The former CM has now found himself defending in the BJP as allies and the Oppositions lined guns on him as another of his loyalists and former minister DP Sawant refused to follow him to BJP while his biggest fear Madhav Kinhalkar has joined the Sharad Pawar- led NCP and is said to be preparing for the polls.
Ashok Chavan facing challenges
Even in his home constituency of Bhokar too, Ashok Chavan is found to be left with experiencing a stiff challenge from the congress young participant Sandipkumar Deshmukh- Baradkar and Prahlad Ingole of ally Shiv Sena.
Picture credit : The Indian Express
Moreover, Deshmukh- Baradkar’s campaign bhumiputra ( son of the soil) is extensively gaining attention, Ingole’s strong claim to the seat, who said that the senior leader who represented the seat has not done anything to highlight the unemployment issues of the region’s youth has literally left the former CM in a tough spot and establish a possibility of a showdown between alliance partners while sharing the seat.
