Nanded LS bypolls gears up for Ravindra Chavan vs Imtiaz Jaleel contest

Mumbai: The bypolls to the Nanded Lok Sabha seat would witness a contest between Ravindra Chavan of the Congress and Imtiaz Jaleel of Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM).

The bypolls have been necessitated because of the death of Vasant Chavan, who passed away on 6 August at the  KIMS Hospital in Hyderabad, where he was admitted following multiple compilations and breathlessness. 

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Vasant Chavan had defeated sitting MP of BJP Prataprao Patil Chikhalikar by 59,442 votes under difficult and challenging circumstances. 

On 5 September, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress President and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge visited the family in Nanded and condoled the death of the late leader. 

The AICC decided to nominate Vasant Chavan’s son Ravindra Chavan. 

However, Jaleel has indicated that he would be contesting the elections. “Why not…there is an election happening, so why not,” Jaleel, who is the AIMIM Maharashtra unit President,  told reporters in Aurangabad.

When pointed out that the Congress will describe AIMIM as the B-Team of BJP, he said: “This is what we have been hearing for long….I am part of a political party,” he said.

In the 2019 polls, Jaleel had defeated Chandrakant Khaire of Shiv Sena from undivided Shiv Sena from Aurangabad Lok Sabha seat.

However, in the 2024 polls, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena's Sandipanrao Bhumre defeated Jaleel.