Lok Sabha elections 2024: Can underdog walk away with win in Maval?

Jyotishwar Bhosale with Maratha leader Manoj Jarange Patil

Can a candidate affiliated with the Maratha Kranti Morcha affect the vote share of traditional candidates in the Maval Lok Sabha constituency elections? Advocate Jyotishwar Bhosale, affiliated with the Maratha morcha and contesting on a Baliraja Party ticket, feels that people will support him in good numbers as they are fed up with traditional parties - a rare scene in Maharashtra politics.

Bhosale is up against Sanjog Waghere from Shiv Sena (UBT) and Shriranga Barne from Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), who has held the seat in the past for a decade.
The Maval constituency has seen Shiv Sena's power previously for 15 years, with Babar Dharamshi winning the 2009 elections with 3,64,857 votes, followed by Shrirang Barne winning the 2014 and 2019 elections with 5,12,226 and 7,20,663 votes, respectively. In 2014, Barne defeated Rahul Narwekar by a margin of 3,29,933 votes. Similarly, in the 2019 elections, Barne defeated Parth Pawar, the son of Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, by 2,15,913 votes.

Bhosale says Maratha organisations have supported his candidature, making the constituency a battleground between both the Sena factions and the Marathas. "I have received support from the World Maratha Organisation (WMO) in the Maval constituency and this will definitely divert the Maratha votes towards me. Also, being a candidate from the Baliraja Party, the local farmers' support has turned towards me. Getting reservations for Marathas which is a long fight led by Manoj Jarange Patil is one part of the fight. I want to open up a third front in the Maval constituency. Laws and policies for Maratha reservation need to be framed at the parliament and being an advocate. I can take up the fight in a legal way at the parliament level."

Speaking with mid-day, Bhosale slammed the sitting Sena Shinde faction MP. "The two-time sitting MP Shrirang Barne has not been doing any substantial work for the development of the region. When approached by people, the MP states that the local MLA is responsible for the development of his Assembly constituency, and the MLA, in return, says that the gram sabha has the task of doing the work. This has left the Maval constituency grappling with low development."

According to Bhosale, people are fed up with the monotony of the Sena in the constituency. "Also, there is no BJP candidate for the constituency, which leaves people with fewer choices, making it a Shiv Sena stronghold. People are expecting new faces in the upcoming Lok Sabha election and a proper development plan for the region. Someone has to take the forefront, and I decided to take up this stand to solve the issues of the locals."

Citing the division of the Shiv Sena, Bhosale said people are regarding whom to vote for and this will cause both factions to lose votes. "There are around 6.5 lakh to seven lakh Maratha voters in the region. My Maratha brothers fought for reservation some months back and marched to Mumbai. The fight needs to continue, and we need to bring up the issue in Parliament. I am confident that the Maratha voters in the constituency will definitely vote for a Maratha candidate to fight for their reservation rights."

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No. of years Shiv Sena has been in power in Maval