As loyalists, kin ditch him, is Ashok Chavan staring at isolation in BJP?

While Patil-Khatgaonkar is Ashok Chavan’s brother-in-law and a seasoned person with sizeable power successful Degloor, Naigaon and Mukhed tehsils of the district, his daughter-in-law Minal was miffed with the BJP for denying her a Lok Sabha ticket. Pokarna is known to beryllium influential among the Marwari and Jain communities, which are seen to signifier a important information of the electorate successful the region.

“It feels similar I person returned location by rejoining the Congress. The Congress gave maine the accidental to service arsenic an MLA, MP and minister. Although I had concisely joined different party, I person present travel backmost home,” Patil-Khatgaonkar said.

In February, the BJP had hailed the introduction of Ashok Chavan – who was known for his meticulous canvass readying and organisational acumen successful the authorities Congress – into its fold arsenic a “masterstroke” and subsequently elevated him to the Rajya Sabha but the determination seems to person backfired arsenic it seemingly opened the doors for different determination Congress leaders, who had hitherto been nether the erstwhile CM’s shadow, to flourish.

The Congress’ corporate leadership, led by MLA Amit Deshmukh, coupled with the interaction of the Maratha quota agitation led by activistic Manoj Jarange-Patil saw the enactment triumph 3 – Nanded, Jalna and Latur – of the 7 seats successful the caller Lok Sabha elections.

State Congress president Nana Patole hailed Patil-Khatgaonkar arsenic a grassroots leader, who returned to the enactment “without expecting immoderate position”. “The determination to re-induct him was taken aft discussions with elder Congress leaders. His introduction volition boost the party’s organisation successful Nanded and volition assistance it triumph much seats successful the upcoming Assembly election,” helium said.

Even arsenic Ashok Chavan claimed that Patil-Khatgaonkar was “free to instrumentality his decisions”, the Lok Sabha nonaccomplishment successful Nanded, which the erstwhile CM had represented successful the Lok Sabha betwixt 2014 and 2019, seemed to person further dented his image. However, the untimely decease of incumbent MP Vasant Chavan has provided him with a redeeming accidental successful the bypoll, which is apt to beryllium held simultaneously with the Assembly elections.

On the backfoot successful Marathwada since the Maratha quota agitation erupted, the BJP is banking connected Ashok Chavan to further its prospects successful the portion successful the upcoming Assembly polls. It received a much-needed boost aft erstwhile Congress’ Degloor MLA Jitesh Antapurkar joined its ranks past period adjacent arsenic different legislator of the expansive aged enactment is said to beryllium connected his mode out.

The erstwhile CM is present near to fend for himself successful the BJP arsenic allies and the Opposition bid guns connected him arsenic different of his loyalists and erstwhile curate D P Sawant chose not to travel him into the BJP portion his bete noire Madhav Kinhalkar has joined the Sharad Pawar-led NCP and is said to beryllium preparing for the polls.

In his location constituency of Bhokar too, Ashok Chavan is seemingly facing a stiff situation from the Congress’ young turk Sandipkumar Deshmukh-Baradkar and Prahlad Ingole of state Shiv Sena.

While Deshmukh-Baradkar’s “bhumiputra (son of the soil)” run is seemingly gaining traction, Ingole staking assertion to the spot portion claiming that “the elder person who represented the spot has done thing to code unemployment issues of the region’s youth” has near the erstwhile CM red-faced and acceptable up a anticipation of a showdown betwixt confederation partners during seat-sharing.