The BJP's influence in Jalgaon district is on the rise, prompting Sharad Pawar's NCP to make a strategic move by ceding the seat to the Thackeray group instead of challenging the BJP.
Since 1990, the BJP's presence has steadily grown in Jalgaon district, spearheaded by leaders like the former BJP stalwart Eknath Khadse. As a result, the BJP has consistently secured victory in both Lok Sabha seats in the district. Despite Sharad Pawar founding the NCP in 1999 and attempting to field candidates against the BJP, the NCP faced defeat in the Jalgaon Lok Sabha constituency in the 2009, 2014, and 2019 elections. Candidates like Vasantrao More, Satish Patil, Gulabrao Devkar, and Manish Jain couldn't secure victories.
Even though the Congress has been historically weak in the district, consistently losing to the BJP by significant margins in Raver, the party, as part of the Mahavikas Aghadi, claimed a strong position in the constituency. However, guided by senior leaders, they relinquished the Raver seat to the Sharad Pawar group. Unable to make headway in the Jalgaon Lok Sabha constituency, Sharad Pawar conceded the seat to the Thackeray group. With four MLAs from Jalgaon constituency aligning with the Shinde group, the Thackeray group aims to contest the election, recognizing the diminished strength of Shiv Sena in the region. This marks the first time the Thackeray group is participating in the Lok Sabha election district, and despite having minimal expectations, they hope that voters will at least recognize their symbol. The strategic move by Sharad Pawar's NCP to make way for the Thackeray group is seen as a prudent decision given the evolving political dynamics.
