Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Aurangabad, the capital of the Marathwada region, used to have a political choice between Baan (Hindu) and Khan (Muslim), but this time there is a fierce triangular battle. ing.
The election campaign is between Imtiyaz Jaleel, a journalist-turned-politician, and the president of the Maharashtra state branch of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), led by Asaduddin Owaisi, and Shiv. -There is a dispute between two factions of the Sena. Tough and unpredictable.
Jaleel will be facing Shiv Sena Chandrakant Khaire, an independent and four-time MP who is running from Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT), and Shiv Sena’s Paisan candidate. Mr. Sandipanrao Bhumle is a four-time state legislator and currently serves as an employment lawmaker. Minister of Assurance in the Maha Yuti government led by Eknath Shinde.
The other two key players are Afsar Khan, who is associated with Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) and is contesting as an independent, and another independent candidate, who won in 2009 He is Harshavarshan Jadhav, a former MLA from Kannad. Raj Thackeray-led MNS and undivided Shiv Sena in 2014 respectively.
Incidentally, controversial politician Jadhav is the son-in-law of Raosaheb Patil Dambe, a former Bharatiya Janata Party veteran, five-time Jalna MP and currently Union Minister of State.
“In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Mr. Jaleel defeated Mr. Khaire by a narrow margin. Mr. Jadhav came third and Congress’ Subhash Zambad came fourth. Now, the people are in favor of Shiv Sena. Mr. Jaleel, on the other hand, also faces a big challenge to retain his seat in the then Aurangabad Municipal Corporation. Apart from serving as leader of the opposition, he has also served as a corporation councilor for five terms… It will be a close race,” said AK Joshi, a senior political observer in Marathwada.
Aurangabad has given mandates to several Muslim leaders in the past, said Aijaz Ahmed Ansari, a veteran political analyst based in Mumbai.
“In the last elections, Jaleel won the polls. A large portion of Dalit-Muslim votes went to him as people are dissatisfied with the Congress for not giving electoral tickets to Muslim candidates in the state. It will flow,” he said.
Sources close to both Sena rival factions said Mr. Thackeray gave the ticket to Mr. Khair even though Ambadas Dambe of the Shiv Sena (UBT), the opposition leader in the Legislative Council, was keen to contest. . “After this, Danbu started putting his weight behind Kaile. Things may be different on the ground,” the source said.
The state’s tourism capital has been renamed Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar. The area includes the world heritage sites Ajanta and Ellora Caves, Aurangzeb’s tomb, his wife’s mausoleum ‘Bibi Ka Maqbara’, Daulatabad Fort, Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple, Bhadra Marti Temple, Khurdabad or ‘ It is famous for the Valley of the Saints, and several Hindu temples. Jain and Muslim shrines.
The renaming of Aurangabad will also be reflected in the polls.
issued May 10, 2024, 22:05 IST
