Dalit protest against Imitiaz Jaleel in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar puts spotlight back on AIMIM-VBA rift in Maharashtra

This protest symbolises a deep and now irreparable rift between the AIMIM and the VBA, two parties that once forged a rare alliance in the 2019 elections, seeking a convergence of the VBA’s core Dalit vote base and Aurangabad’s sizable Muslim population that together form nearly 29 per cent of the district.

This convergence helped Jaleel get elected as the city’s second-ever Muslim MP and the first from the community in over four decades. However, the alliance unravelled soon after Jaleel entered Parliament. The relations between the two parties have steadily deteriorated since, culminating in open hostility with the VBA now openly working to chart Jaleel’s political downfall.

What was Monday’s protest about?

Former Aurangabad MP and AIMIM leader Imtiaz Jaleel was booked earlier this month by the Aurangabad Police under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The case stems from a recent press interaction in which Jaleel is alleged to have used a casteist term while criticising Maharashtra Social Justice Minister Sanjay Shirsat, whom he has repeatedly accused of corruption.

While Jaleel has been targeting Shirsat for several weeks over alleged land and asset irregularities, Ambedkarite groups, particularly the VBA’s leadership in Aurangabad, demanded his arrest, accusing him of making anti-Dalit remarks.

Jaleel, however, has denied the allegations, calling the protest “sponsored and politically motivated”.

“This protest was staged to shield a particular minister. It was entirely orchestrated by individuals claiming to represent the Scheduled Caste community. I have done nothing wrong. The term in question is not derogatory; it appears even in official publications printed by the Maharashtra government,” Jaleel said.

What is the tiff between Jaleel and Shirsat?

The rivalry between Jaleel and Shirsat has intensified ever since the latter was appointed guardian minister of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district in January 2025. Since then, Jaleel has repeatedly accused Shirsat of land misuse and abuse of ministerial power.

The first major allegation came when Jaleel claimed that Shirsat’s son, Siddhant, was illegally allotted a 21,275 sq m plot in the MIDC’s Shendra Industrial Area in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Jaleel had alleged that the land had originally been reserved for a truck terminus but was de-notified in August 2024. Jaleel alleged foul play and demanded a probe by central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Soon after, Jaleel also targeted Shirsat over the controversial auction of the VITS Hotel in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. After the hotel’s original promoters declared bankruptcy, the state government seized the property under the Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors (MPID) Act and began auction proceedings. A reserve price of Rs 64.53 crore was set, an amount that critics, including Jaleel, argued was grossly undervalued.

In May 2025, a firm linked to Shirsat’s son emerged as the highest bidder at Rs 67 crore. Alleging that the process was manipulated to benefit the minister’s family, Jaleel and others demanded the auction be scrapped. The backlash eventually led to Shirsat’s son withdrawing from the deal.

To escalate pressure, Jaleel submitted documents related to Shirsat’s land and business dealings to Ambadas Danve, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, and also urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to order an independent investigation.

In retaliation, the Shirsat camp has accused Jaleel of being a political pawn, alleging that he is being used by rivals to discredit the minister. VBA leader Afsar Khan, a former ally-turned-critic of Jaleel, has accused him of using his political influence to purchase properties, including his current residence, at artificially low prices. Khan played a key role in Jaleel’s narrow defeat in the 2024 Assembly elections, which he lost by just 2,161 votes.

Why have VBA leaders targeted Jaleel?

The rivalry between the VBA and Jaleel stems from a personal fallout dating back to their brief but impactful alliance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

While AIMIM had already made inroads in Maharashtra with two Assembly seats in 2014, the VBA was formed in 2018 under Prakash Ambedkar. In 2019, an alliance between Ambedkar and Asaduddin Owaisi brought together Dalit and Muslim voters. It was an experiment that proved successful in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, where Jaleel won a stunning upset over four-time Shiv Sena MP Chandrakant Khaire by a margin of just 4,492 votes.

However, the partnership was fraught with friction even before the election. Ambedkar had initially announced former High Court judge B G Kolse Patil as the alliance candidate for Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. But Jaleel, then a sitting MLA from Aurangabad Central, opposed the move and threatened rebellion from the AIMIM, stating that he would contest as an Independent. It was only after pressure from Jaleel that Owaisi stepped in, forcing Ambedkar to relent and allow Jaleel to contest the seat.

After his victory, VBA leaders accused Jaleel of sidelining Ambedkar and failing to show due respect to the man they saw as instrumental in stitching the alliance together. The perceived snub created a deep personality rift, leading to a formal breakup between the VBA and AIMIM. Since then, Jaleel has been viewed by VBA leaders as the alliance-breaker.

This animosity has continued to shape VBA’s electoral strategy. The party has consistently fielded candidates against Jaleel, including in the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, where Jaleel lost his Assembly bid by a narrow margin of 2,161 votes. While Ambedkar often avoids directly naming Jaleel in public, second-rung VBA leaders have openly criticised him, painting him as arrogant, disrespectful, and opportunistic.

The ongoing feud between Jaleel and Shirsat has allowed Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar’s VBA leaders to target Jaleel using the current controversy centred around caste-related allegations as a way to settle old scores with the man they believe “betrayed their leader”.