The results of the Lok Sabha 2024 elections highlighted the emotional side of the voters in Marathwada. The sensibility of the voters can be seen explicitly in the results. The alliance parties of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) have achieved success beyond their expectation. In the back of their minds the people had issues like rebellion in the parties, anti-incumbency, national political scenario, etc reciprocated against Mahayuti. Mahayuti could not prove its presence in Marathwada. Indeed, the results of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar are shocking for all as the constituency has a tendency to vote against the set trends, as witnessed in the previous election, and hence it yielded different results than the trends. The sitting MP Imtiaz Jaleel faced a setback due to the absence of the alliance with the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi. The SHS winner Sandeepan Bhumre and his team were aware of the election strategy of SHSUBT Chandrakant Khaire as they had earlier worked together in the past, and it had somewhere worked against Khaire.
Loss of BJP’s strong leaders is a matter of concern: Sanjeev Unhale
BJP just washed away in the region with the defeat of Pankaja Munde, the former minister with about 3000 votes. Strong BJP leaders like the union Minister of State for Railways Raosaheb Danve from Jalna, Pratap Patil Chikhalikar from Nanded, and Sudhakar Shrangare from Latur have to taste defeat. The aggressive Maratha factor of Manoj Jarange Patil remained effective in Marathwada. Although, Pankaja Munde, the BJP candidate lost the election, due to the widening divide between Marathas and OBCs. How to meet the divide between two communities is a matter of grave concern. This divide is sharply witnessed in Beed, Parbhani, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, and other constituencies. Chandrakant Khaire (of a minor minority caste like Burud) was elected four times in the local constituency as the late Sena supremo Bal Thackeray had never seen the caste of the candidate. However, the party became secondary in the flux of time, it was witnessed.
The defeat of Danve was not only a result of a caste factor but a sharply anti-incumbency factor as he was MP five times in Jalna. There was continuous rule of the BJP in the constituency for more than 35 years. The name of Modi was found to be unworthy as Danve created his family rule and alleged heavy contractorship within the family.
The defeat of Chikhalikar created shock waves amid party circles despite the huge meetings of
Modi-Shah. The result was affected due to the entry of former chief minister, Ashok Chavan into BJP corridors and becoming Rajya Sabha MP. Nanded people, who supported the Congress for the last 50 years, were annoyed by the act of Chavan. Three seats of Dharashiv, Parbhani, and Hingoli were won by the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), and three seats of Latur, Nanded, and Jalna to the Congress. The seat of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar is won by the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) Sandeepan Bhumre. In the total absence of the Modi wave, the people in each constituency have made their own choice in Marathwada.