Posters in Nanded saying ‘no entry’ to political leaders by members of the Maratha community. Alok Deshpande
As they waited for a ride in the scorching heat on the road leading to Pethvadaj town in Nanded’s Mukhed tehsil, an elderly couple wondered why Ashok Chavan chose to quit his party overnight. “We voted for him (Ashok Chavan) and he became the Chief Minister. How can he change his party suddenly? We will have to decide what to do now,” the man said.
Ashok Chavan, two-time Maharashtra Chief Minister and former Maharashtra Congress chief, is no longer in his original party. He is the Rajya Sabha MP of ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and is not even contesting the ongoing Lok Sabha elections in Nanded. But for people and his opponents, he is BJP’s candidate, and the outcome of this election will determine his future.
“My fight is against Ashok Chavan. Prataprao (the BJP candidate and incumbent Lok Sabha MP) was disliked by his own party legislators who had demanded a different candidate from BJP leadership. He is disliked by the people of Nanded. He was not even in the race. Had it not been for Ashok Chavan, the BJP did not stand a chance in this election,” Congress candidate and former MLA Vasant Chavan told The Indian Express.
One need not go far to experience the omnipresence of the Chavan family. Just a walk of a few metres from the railway station is the Ashok Vidyalaya. Be it Vishnupuri dam or Sharda Bhuvan educational institutes, the stamp of Chavan family is impossible to miss. Ashok Chavan enjoyed a single-handed dominance on the local civic body and his election management skills have yielded positive results for the party, except for his 2019 Lok Sabha defeat.
BJP MP Prataprao Patil-Chikhlikar won 4.86 lakh votes in 2019 polls while Chavan had won 4.46 lakh votes. Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi’s Yashpal Bhinge grabbing 1.66 lakh votes played a part in Chavan’s defeat. For BJP, the joining of Ashok Chavan meant nothing less than victory for the party in 2024 general elections if one goes by simple addition of numbers. But with less than 10 days for the polling, several issues have started bothering the BJP.
Over the past two weeks, several instances of Maratha workers in various villages stopping the BJP leaders from entering have been recorded. Chavan himself was the victim in one case while Chikhlikar’s family faced the ire in another case. BJP MLA Tushar Rathod faced the opposition from Marathas and even the wife of Ashok Chavan had to retreat in another instance. Nanded with around 18.34 lakh voters has over six lakh Maratha voters.
BJP’s slogan “Ab ki bar 400 par” is facing negative reactions as it is getting attached with the opposition narrative of BJP’s eye on changing the Constitution. So much is the impact that Chavan in a press conference had to assure that the constitution will not be changed. Muslims, who have been the traditional supporters of Ashok Chavan, have yet not opened the cards as he continues to try to woo the community recalling the ties of the last 40 years. With over 4.75 lakh Muslim and Dalit votes, the BJP is trying hard to keep up the momentum.
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The VBA has fielded Avinash Bhosikar, eyeing around 1.75 lakh Lingayat votes. The Lingayats in Nanded are known to have sided with the BJP in Lok Sabha polls and VBA’s candidature has further deepened the concerns for the party.
“Yes, he went to the BJP. But has the worker shifted? Has the voter shifted? No. The voter stands with Congress, and it will be evident on June 4,” said Vasant Chavan.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Ashok Chavan maintained that irrespective of any claim from the opposition, his clout cannot be dismissed and one needs to wait for results to be sure of it. “The Congress candidate could not win his own assembly in 2019. The BJP has its votebank, the candidate has its share, I have my own votes. And most importantly, it is the Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is above us all. People are going to vote for the PM’s face,” he said.
Despite the on-paper mathematics and arrival of Ashok Chavan on the scene, BJP’s anxiety over Nanded is clearly visible as it called Union Minister Amit Shah for a rally in Nanded last week. On April 20, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a public rally. Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis is also likely to campaign for the party. The opposition is pointing out that this validates their claim of Ashok Chavan having lost his charisma.
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“Nanded is a constituency where every PM loves to come. From Indira ji to Modi ji. What is wrong with it? He is coming because his presence will multiply our victory margin,” said Ashok Chavan.
Sudhakar Gonarkar, is a farmer from Mukhed tehsil who feels that GST on goods used by farmers and price rise of cooking gas is a major issue in rural belt. “Narendra Modi’s face and Ram temple are only two issues on which the BJP can win. To defeat the BJP, there are numerous issues,” he said.
Alok Deshpande is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express' Mumbai bureau, recognized for his focused and authoritative reporting on governance, politics, and the socio-economic dynamics of Maharashtra's hinterlands. His unique academic background in Geology and early work in the water sector provides a specialized layer of Expertise to his reporting on resource and environmental issues.
Expertise
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express, Mumbai.
Core Authority: Alok provides detailed coverage of Maharashtra politics and governance, with a particular emphasis on how policies and power struggles affect the rural and semi-urban areas (the 'hinterlands').
Key Coverage Areas: His reports frequently focus on high-stakes administrative and political topics, including:
State Assembly Proceedings: In-depth reporting on the Legislative Assembly, covering ministerial statements, legislative debates, and inter-party conflict within the ruling Mahayuti alliance.
Policy & Finance: Coverage of state finances, including supplementary budget demands, fiscal deficits, and major government schemes (e.g., Jal Jeevan Mission, Ladki Bahin Yojana).
Rural and Social Issues: Reports on critical health issues (e.g., child deaths in districts), human-animal conflict (leopard attacks, stray dogs), and agrarian concerns (e.g., farmer suicides).
Local and Urban Governance: Covers major announcements regarding urban development (e.g., BMC's OC amnesty scheme, pagdi system push) and local body elections, including political defections and alliance splits.
Unique Credentials & Trustworthiness
Academic Specialization: Holds a Post-graduate degree in Geology. This background gives him a foundational understanding of natural resources, which directly informs his reporting on environment, water, and infrastructure projects.
Early Professional Experience: His shift to journalism came after working with an NGO focused on the water sector. This practical experience strengthens his Expertise in critical areas like water management and rural development, as evidenced by his reporting on the Jal Jeevan Mission.
Journalism Training: An alumnus of the prestigious Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai, confirming his formal training and commitment to rigorous journalistic standards.
Alok Deshpande's rare combination of scientific education, non-profit sector experience, and deep political reporting makes him a highly trusted and authoritative voice on the governance and ground realities of Maharashtra.
He tweets @alokdesh ... Read More
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