Mahayuti's MLC nomination reflects caste balance ahead of Maharashtra elections Maharashtra News

With his approval, the swearing-in ceremony was held at Vidhan Bhavan on Tuesday, hours before the Maharashtra Assembly elections were announced.

The newly sworn-in MLCs are BJP's Chitra Wagh, Vikrant Patil and Banjara Dharmaguru community spiritual leader Babusingha Maharaj Rathore, NCP leaders Pankaj Bhujbal and Idris Naikwadi and Shiv Sena's Manisha Kayande and Hemant Patil.

Rathod is a seer from Gor Banjara community in Washim district. The community has considerable electoral influence in the Marathwada and West Vidarbha regions.

Sources indicated a growing caste divide in the state, especially in the Marathwada region, which could pose a challenge to the BJP.

Rathod, who also heads the Poharadevi Sansthan, a trust that manages a temple highly revered by the community, was appointed to address these concerns.

Notably, the BJP lost all the contested seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in the Marathwada region.

Chitra Wagh, who crossed over from the undivided NCP to the BJP ahead of the 2019 assembly elections, has been promoted as the head of the BJP's state women's wing in November 2022.

He is said to have a close relationship with senior BJP leader and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

In June 2022, former state president of the BJP's women's wing, Uma Khapre, was elected to the upper house of the state assembly.

According to a BJP functionary, Vikrant Patil has emerged as a promising new face for the party in Panvel town of Raigad district, who has shown keen interest in contesting the legislative elections.

“However, as the BJP already had a sitting MLA, Prashant Thakur, there was no need to replace him. To avoid any possible revolt, the BJP chose to nominate Patil to the upper house of the legislature. since then. Starting his political career,” said the official.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who heads the Shiv Sena, also assured representation in the Legislative Council for his party leaders, who were not given tickets for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

In the general elections, then MPs Kripal Tumane (Ramtek), Bhavana Gawali (Yavatmal-Washim) and Hemant Patil (Hingoli) were replaced along with other candidates.

Tumane and Gawali were elected to the state legislative assembly in July, while Patil was sworn in along with Kayande on Tuesday.

The NCP, led by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, opted for the MLC post for Pankaj Bhujbal, son of state cabinet minister and OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal, apparently to avoid a possible clash ahead of the parliamentary elections.

Another NCP nominee, Idris Naikwadi, is a minority face from western Maharashtra and former mayor of Sangli, Miraj and Kupwad City Municipal Corporations.

Naikwadi is the second prominent Muslim leader of the NCP in western Maharashtra after Cabinet minister Hasan Mushrif, who was born in neighboring Kolhapur district.

Ajit Pawar is trying to maintain his image as a secular leader and challenges the aggressive tone of some BJP leaders against Muslims.

He insists that his party follows the ideals of secular and social reformers Dr BR Ambedkar, Mahatma Jyoti Rao Phule and Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj.

“Lok Sabha election results also indicated that Muslims voted by majority in anti-Maha Bikash Aghadi constituencies. Ajit Pawar must be well aware of this. This could be the reason behind choosing Naikwadi for the Upper House to win Muslim votes in the next assembly.” election,” said a political analyst.