Sena vs Sena: Yavatmal-washim is a prestige contest for CM Shinde
YAVATMAL-WASHIM: The battle for Yavatmal-washim heated up after the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) forced Eknath Shinde to drop his party’s five-term MP Bhavana Gawli from this farmerdominated constituency and field Rajshri Patil instead. She belongs to the Kunbi community and is the wife of Hemant Patil who is the Shiv Sena’s sitting MP from Hingoli, and from where he has been denied re-nomination.
The constituency is among the seven declared so far where there is a straight fight between the two Shiv Sena factions. Sanjay Deshmukh is the Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate. But candidates have been chosen keeping the strong DMK caste calculation (Deshmukh- Maratha- Kunbi). The outcome will also depend on whether the Congress can transfer its traditional Muslim, Dalit vote bank to their ally Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate.
The constituency, created out of the 2008 delimitation exercise, has voted for a Shiv SenaBJP candidate in all the three general elections held since. Of the six assembly constituencies in Yavatmal-washim, Shiv Sena has only one MLA, Sanjay
Rathod. The BJP has four MLAS while Ajit Pawar’s NCP has one. In this Lok Sabha election, both inter- and intra-party politics of the Mahayuti ensured that Gawli was eased out.
A majority of the agrarian ‘DMK’ and Banjara votes helped the undivided Shiv Sena and BJP alliance win this seat in multiple elections. However, after the split in the Shiv Sena the DMK vote stands divided, with the Deshmukh voters supporting Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Sanjay Deshmukh. The Kunbis are upset that their leader, Bhavana Gawli, has been denied a ticket despite going with Eknath Shinde when the Shiv Sena split in 2022. In addition, a Banjara community leader, Mahant Sunil Maharaj, has joined Shiv Sena (UBT) and is campaigning for Sanjay Deshmukh.
This indicates a division of DMK and Banjara votes in two Sena factions. As Deshmukhs are less in number compared to other Kunbis, Sena and BJP are silently campaigning leaning on Kunbis. But another caste-religion combination of scheduled caste and Muslims – traditional Congress voters – will play important roles in this election as Shiv Sena (UBT) is in alliance with Congress and NCP (SP).
The ruling alliance is facing two other challenges here – unrest among farmers and youth, and the turmoil among scheduled caste voters about the possible change of the Constitution if BJP is voted in.
“There is anger among the youth as the government has failed to fulfil its promise of recruitment in government jobs,” said Pradyumna Javalekar who runs an NGO and has staged many agitations voicing this issue. Farmer Pramod Katare, who owns land in Babhulgaon, Ralegaon tehsil, expressed anger over the drop in value of cotton, which he sold for ₹6300 per quintal this year instead of expected ₹8500. “The Centre has failed to protect farmers’ interest; we will keep this in mind while voting,” said Katare. Shobhna Kotambe, who works for a social organisation in Patipura, Yavatmal city, expressed the scheduled caste community’s anxiety that voted for the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) the last time. As the party is not in the fray now, they “will vote against the Bjp-led alliance,” she said. Restaurant owner and social worker Sikandar Shaha added Muslims will vote big against the BJP.
Both the BJP and Shiv Sena have realised what they are up against. BJP is in control of the campaign in this constituency, with four of six assembly segments having the party’s MLAS. The leadership has warned leaders who were reluctant to campaign for “outside” candidates to fall in line. They have been told their performance now will determine their future in the assembly elections.
“BJP MLAS are working hard to ensure the party is voted back to power at the Centre,” said former minister and Yavatmal MLA Madan Yerawar, who is in charge of coordination. “The Mahayuti candidate had a short time to campaign, but she will win, backed by PM’S development work.”
On the other hand, Deshmukh said even though MVA has not a single MLA in Yavatmal-washim Lok Sabha constituency people have taken control of election, driven by issues of unemployment and farmers being denied fair prices. “Leaders of the ruling party have realised this, and out of fear have taken the shelter of a sub-caste. Voters will not succumb such politics,” he said.
Sena candidate Rajshri Patil retorted saying the opposition wa s b r a n d i n g h e r a s a n “imported candidate” as it has no issues to talk about. “I was born and brought up here. The only place open for people 24X7 at a time of crisis is my parents’ home. I am daughter of a kastkar (farmer), so I understand their problems very well and will work to resolve them,” said Patil.