Ashok Chavan in BJP’s star campaigner list for Maharashtra

Maharashtra with 48 Lok Sabha seats is the second most important state in terms of numbers after Uttar Pradesh. Given the complex dynamics that has emerged following the split in two major regional parties Shiv Sena and NCP, the state is poised for a straight battle between Mahayuti and MVA.

A BJP source said, “We have a two-pronged strategy. The state BJP unit will hold small meetings at booth levels across the 48 seats. Over this, we will have star campaigners breezing in and out covering crucial constituencies. The approach of the party is ‘carpet coverage’ to ensure it connects to the ‘last man, last mile’; 19,000 corner meetings are on the agenda.

State BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule said, “The party’s focus will be to cover all 48 constituencies. The star campaigners will hold public rallies and roadshows depending on the plans and requirements.”

From Maharashtra, the star campaigners include Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, Bawankule and Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar.

National BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde also figures in the list. In 2019, BJP had denied him Assembly ticket at the eleventh hour. So also was Bawankule, who was denied ticket for Assembly polls despite being a sitting MLA.

On the party’s decision to include Chavan in the list, a senior party leader said, “In Marathwada, which has eight Lok Sabha seats, BJP is concerned about the unrest within Marathas over reservation. Manoj Jarange Patil, who demanded kunbhi certificates to ‘sage soyare’ blood relations of eligible Marathas to avail OBC quota, has been kept in abeyance. Instead, Shinde announced 10 per cent quota to Marathas in government jobs and education. While Marathas across Westerm Maharashtra, Vidarbha, North Maharashtra and Konkan are happy with the government decision, sizeable sections within Marathwada are still unhappy. And they continue to rally around Jarange Patil.”

Chavan, who is a Maratha leader from Marathwada region, it is believed, can contribute significantly to assuage the unrest among poor Marathas who are still insisting on “sage soyre”.

Candidates who are themselves contesting and have made it to the star list includes Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, Smriti Irani, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Shivrajsingh Chouhan, Raosaheb Danve, Pankaja Munde Palve and Sudhir Mungantiwar. Mumbai BJP chief Shelar will campaign in Konkan extensively.

The others in the list includes Pramod Sawant, Mohan Yadav, Vishnu Deo Patel, Bhajanlal Sharma, Narayan Rane, Ramdas Athawale, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Ravindra Chavan, Manoj Tiwari, Atul Sable, Dhananjay Mhadik, Ravi Kisan, K Annamalai and Amar Sable.

In 2019, UP CM Yogi Adityanath had campaigned in Mumbai to consolidate the north Indian vote bank for BJP. Similarly, RPI’s Ramdas Athavale focuses on Dalit votes across Maharashtra. RPI (A) is an alliance partner of BJP since 2014.