Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Aurangabad, the hub of Marathwada region, where the political choice used to be Baan (Hindu) or Khan (Muslim), is witnessing a fierce triangular contest this time.
The electoral fight is among sitting MP Imtiyaz Jaleel, a journalist-turned-politician and the Maharashtra unit president of Asaduddiun Owaisi-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), and the two factions of the Shiv Sena, making the contest tough and unpredictable.
Pitted against Jaleel are former four-time MP of undivided Shiv Sena Chandrakant Khaire, who is contesting for the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), and Shiv Sena’s Sandipanrao Bhumre, a four-time MLA from Paithan, who is currently the Employment Guarantee Minister in the Eknath Shinde-headed Maha Yuti government.
The two other important players are Afsar Khan, who is associated with the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) and contesting as an Independent, and Harshavarshan Jadhav, another Independent candidate, who is a former MLA from Kannad having won in 2009 and 2014 for Raj Thackeray-led MNS and undivided Shiv Sena, respectively.
Incidentally, Jadhav, a controversial politician, is the son-in-law of BJP veteran and five-time Jalna MP Raosaheb Patil-Danve, who is currently a Union minister of state.
“In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Jaleel defeated Khaire with a thin margin. Jadhav was in third position while Subhash Zambad of Congress came fourth. Now the people are in difficulty as they have two Shiv Sena factions to chose from. On the other hand, Jaleel, too, faces a big challenge in retaining the seat. VBA’s Khan has served as a corporator for five terms, apart from serving as leader of opposition in the then Aurangabad Municipal Corporation…its going to be a close fight,” said AK Joshi, a senior political observer from Marathwada.
According to Mumbai-based veteran political analyst Aijaz Ahmed Ansari, Aurangabad has given mandate to several Muslim leaders in the past.
“In the previous election, Jaleel won the polls. A large chunk of Dalit-Muslim votes will go to him as people are unhappy with the Congress for not giving ticket to any Muslim candidate in the state,” he said.
A source close to both warring factions of the Sena said Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Ambadas Danve, who is the leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, was keen to contest, however, Thackeray gave the ticket to Khaire. “After this, Danve has put his weight behind Khaire. On ground, the situation may be different,” the source said.
The state’s tourism capital has been renamed as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar. The district is famous for the World Heritage sites Ajanta and Ellora caves, Aurangzeb’s grave, his wife’s mausoleum ‘Bibi Ka Maqbara’, the Daulatabad Fort, Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple, Bhadra Maruti Temple, Khuldabad or ‘Valley of Saints’, and several Hindu, Jain and Muslim shrines.
The renaming of Aurangabad will also be reflected in the poll.