In this file photo, a man waves a flag as he blocks a road during a protest, organised by Maharashtra state's Maratha community, to press their demands for reserved quotas.
Credit: Reuters File Photo
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: OBC voters hold the key in Maharashtra's Ghansawangi assembly seat, which also contains Antarwali Sarati, the epicentre of the Maratha quota agitation led by Manoj Jarange, as per observers.
Ghansawangi is part of Jalna district, which is in the state's Marathwada region, where the effect of the quota agitation saw the decimation of the BJP and the Maha Vikas Aghadi winning seven out of eight Lok Sabha seats.
The seat has been represented by senior NCP (SP) leader and former state minister Rajesh Tope since 2009. He will face Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena's Hikmat Udhan in the November 20 polls. Tope had won the 2019 polls by a slender margin of 1,600 votes.
Exuding confidence about his prospects, Tope told PTI that no issue in the constituency is new to him.
"I have worked for every segment. I have not spoken to Jarange. I just keep doing my work. There is a favourable environment for the Maha Vikas Aghadi," Tope said.
Senior television journalist Ravi Munde said the presence of rebels Satish Ghadge (who was with the BJP) and Shivajirao Chothe (who was with Uddhav Thackeray led Shiv Sena (UBT)) may lead to division of Maratha votes.
"Other Backward Classes votes will become key in the Ghansawangi constituency. The decisions taken by Jarange in connection with the polls will also be a factor. Other communities are upset with Tope for his help to the Maratha quota agitation," Munde asserted.
Division of votes will help Tope, said resident Vaibhav Joshi, adding the OBC factor will decide who will be next MLA from Ghansawangi.
Former Ghansawangi 'nagar adhyaksh' Rajendra Deshmukh told PTI that Tope's chances will also be hit due to the split in the NCP (in July last year after Ajit Pawar joined the Shinde government).
Even if Jarange does not field candidates, Maratha votes can get split and some can also go to Udhan, he said.
Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.
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