Shiv Sena's Pradeep Jaiswal Looks Poised For Victory From Maharashtra's Sambhajinagar Central
The majority of Marathwada has extended strong support to Shiv Sena, especially Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar city and district, which have firmly stood behind the party.
The influence of this district's politics has been visible across other parts of Marathwada.
The renaming of Aurangabad city to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar stirred youth to rally in large numbers around Shiv Sena leader Balasaheb Thackeray. Among these enthusiastic youths was Pradeep Jaiswal.
Pradeep Jaiswal began his work with Shiv Sena at the age of 25, primarily within the municipal corporation's jurisdiction. He served as a corporator and mayor for Shiv Sena and has completed a term as a Member of Parliament.
However, in the 2004 state assembly elections, he was defeated by Congress leader and former state education minister Rajendra Darda. Following this, a rift developed between Shiv Sena and Pradeep Jaiswal.
Jaiswal alleged that Shiv Sena members had contributed to his defeat. As a result, he was denied a party ticket for the 2009 assembly elections.
Upset by this, Jaiswal accused the party's then-executive president Uddhav Thackeray's personal assistant, Milind Narvekar, of asking for money in exchange for a ticket, and subsequently left Shiv Sena.
He contested the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar Central constituency independently in 2009 and won.
Although the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) attempted to bring him into their fold, it did not succeed. While he supported the Congress, Jaiswal felt neglected by the party and eventually rejoined Shiv Sena.
Defeat in 2014
In the 2014 assembly elections, Jaiswal again contested the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar seat on a Shiv Sena ticket. However, the alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had been dissolved at that time, and BJP's Kishanchand Tanwani also stood in the fray.
With the Muslim community accounting for about 38-40% of the votes in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar Central constituency, the split between Shiv Sena and BJP votes benefitted MIM's Imtiaz Jaleel, who won with a margin of 20,000 votes.
While Jaleel secured 61,000 votes, Jaiswal and Tanwani's combined tally reached around 81,000. This vote division helped Jaleel emerge victorious.
Overcoming defeat in 2019
In 2019, the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance was re-established, and Jaiswal was given a ticket from the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar Central constituency by Shiv Sena.
He secured victory with a substantial 82,000 votes, while his opponent from MIM also saw an increase in votes, going from 61,000 to 68,000. Thus, Jaiswal became an MLA on a Shiv Sena ticket.
Support for Eknath Shinde
In 2022, a significant upheaval took place within Shiv Sena, with many MLAs aligning themselves with Eknath Shinde, rejecting Uddhav Thackeray's leadership. Eknath Shinde assumed the Chief Minister position, and the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition returned to power.
Later, Ajit Pawar also joined the government with forty NCP MLAs. Pradeep Jaiswal was among the Shiv Sena MLAs who extended their support to Shinde.
Eknath Shinde extended considerable assistance to Jaiswal. The Urban Development Department allocated a fund of ₹80 crore for the development of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar Central constituency, of which ₹20 crore worth of projects have been completed, with work on projects worth ₹60 crore ongoing.
A fund of ₹9 crore was provided to complete the road from Bibi Ka Maqbara to the caves to enhance tourism, while ₹8 crore was sanctioned for the widening of the route from Putil to Jat Wada. Currently, the first phase of the bridge construction is complete, with road work progressing.
Implementation of Various Schemes
For the residents of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar Central constituency, a fund of ₹6 crore was sanctioned under the Anna Bhau Sathe Urban Dalit Housing Scheme by Eknath Shinde, covering the creation of roads and sewage systems. Of this, projects worth ₹3 crore have been completed, with the remaining works ongoing.
Additionally, a water supply scheme worth ₹1,680 crore was approved, involving the installation of new pipelines and water tanks. Efforts are underway to provide employment opportunities to local youth by sharing information about the unemployed with MIDC.
Recently, in an executive committee meeting, Chief Minister Shinde approved a ₹100 crore fund for a 200-year-old Khamba river bridge and ₹191 crore for an advanced police station, department offices, and police quarters. Under Shinde's leadership, 500 women drivers have been provided with e-rickshaws.
Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar Central is a constituency of immense prestige for Shiv Sena. Due to religious divides, it often becomes a matter of communal identity.
Shiv Sena-BJP alliance leaders and workers are fully dedicated to securing a win in this constituency. Considering the political dynamics, Pradeep Jaiswal's victory appears relatively assured.
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