Lok sabha polls: Can Ashok Chavan swing it for BJP in Maharashtra's Nanded?

The BJP has again fielded sitting MP Prataprao Patil Chikhalikar who humbled Chavan in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections by over 40,000 votes

It is quite unusual that both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah hold public rallies in the same constituency. But this did happen in Marathwada’s Nanded. It goes to polls on 26 April.

Nanded is the home ground of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan who had to step down following the alleged Adarsh scam. Chavan won the seat as a Congress candidate in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, and it was one of only two seats — other being Hingoli — that the party won in Maharashtra 10 years back. Chavan, now a Rajya Sabha MP, had recently switched to the Bharatiya Janata Party from Congress. 

The BJP has again fielded the sitting Member of Parliament Prataprao Patil Chikhalikar who humbled Chavan in the last Lok Sabha polls by over 40,000 votes. The Congress has fielded Vasant Chavan, former Member of the Legislative Assembly. In 2019, the BJP secured 43.3 per cent of the votes while the Congress got 39.7 per cent.

Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi's (VBA's) candidate polled 165,341 votes that is 14.9 per cent of the total votes while Chavan lost by mere 3.6 per cent vote share. The VBA has fielded Avinash Bhosikar as their candidate this time. 

Chavan is actively campaigning for the BJP in Nanded, but recent agitations by farmer-turned-Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil has triggered discontent among the Marathas.

Marathas, who account for about 65 per cent of the voters, will hold the key in this high voltage constituency. There is also a sizable Muslim and Dalit population. Chavan’s father, former Maharashtra CM and ex-Union finance minister Shankarrao Chavan, had won the seat in 1980 and 1984.