Former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan joined the BJP just before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, hoping his leadership would benefit the party in the Nanded constituency and secure him a Rajya Sabha seat. However, the BJP candidate lost in the Lok Sabha election, leading to questions being raised about Ashok Chavan's leadership.
Chavan left Congress and joined BJP and he received a grand welcome. The next day after joining BJP, he was nominated as the Rajya Sabha member.
BJP expected that the party will gain strength with Chavan on its side in Nanded. However, the sitting MP Pratap Patil Chikhlikar faced defeat. BJP also expected to encash his influence for the other BJP seats in Marathwada, but his magic could not even work there. BJP lost four seats in Marathwada.
Chavan had defeated BJP's Chikhlikar in 2019
Pratap Patil Chikhlikar was contesting for his second term in Lok Sabha in Nanded, but it was a litmus test for Chavan to prove his clout.
Before the Lok Sabha election, former Congress CM Ashok Chavan joined BJP. Chavan, who had defeated Pratap Patil Chikhlikar in 2019, had the challenging task of ensuring Chikhlikar's victory in the Lok Sabha 2024 election. BJP leaders assigned this responsibility to Chavan. During the election campaign, Chavan faced backlash from the Maratha community compared to Chikhlikar. BJP grappled with issues like political alliances, Maratha reservation, and farmers' issues during the campaign.
On the other hand, the Congress leaders were united and worked together for the victory of the Congress candidate Vasantrao Chavan. It is being said that many Congress leaders did not like Chavan leaving Congress and joining BJP. Congress senior leaders had always shown trust in the Chavan family in Maharashtra and his act is being considered as rebellion. He left the party, when it needed him the most.
Chikhlikar was the BJP candidate, but Chavan was targeted during the entire campaigning scenario. The Congress candidate Vasantrao Chavan gained the votes from all the strata including Muslims, Maratha and Dalits and won the elections with the margin of more than 59,000 votes.
