Battleground Nanded: Will 'secular man' Ashok Chavan live up to BJP's expectations in Maharashtra?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with BJP leader Ashok Chavan during an election rally for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections, in Nanded district (PTI)

"I am a secular man within BJP," claimed Ashok Chavan when asked by a journalist how he has adjusted to the BJP even as his political upbringing has been with the Congress, which claims to be a secular party.

The assembly elections are a test for both the BJP and Chavan. The results will reveal whether Chavan proves to be an asset for the party and whether poaching him from Congress was the right decision. On the other hand, Chavan will gauge his clout in Nanded and the surrounding areas.

Maharashtra assembly elections: Complete coverage

Not many in political circles were surprised last February when Ashok Chavan, a Congress stalwart and former CM of Maharashtra, joined the BJP. Shortly after joining, he was given membership in the Rajya Sabha. There were whispers that Chavan might join the BJP after Ajit Pawar led a rebellion in the NCP and joined the incumbent Mahayuti alliance in July 2023. Like Ajit Pawar, the BJP targeted Chavan over allegations of corruption.

In public speeches, PM Modi and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis have repeatedly targeted Chavan over his alleged involvement in the Adarsh Housing Scam. Chavan had to resign from the CM's post after his name was embroiled in the controversy in 2010. Before he joined the BJP, some party leaders publicly stated that the Adarsh investigation could be reopened.

While the general perception is that Chavan quit Congress out of fear of harassment by central investigation agencies, he gives different reasons for his defection. According to Chavan, he joined BJP after being impressed by Modi's vision and due to internal politics within Congress. Chavan claimed that a faction led by a now-deceased Congress leader was conspiring against him within the party.

The BJP is relying on Chavan for electoral gains in the upper Marathwada region. In the Lok Sabha elections, the party faced backlash due to the Maratha agitation and farmers' discontent. Despite having Chavan on its side, the BJP lost the Nanded Lok Sabha seat. The responsibility has fallen on Chavan to mitigate the anger of these dissatisfied groups. Chavan is confident of the Mahayuti's strong performance in the region, relying on his own case. In his view, voter sentiments differ between Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha polls. In 2019, he lost the Nanded Lok Sabha seat but won the Vidhan Sabha seat in the election held five months later.

Chavan's daughter Sreejaya has entered electoral politics and is contesting from Bhokar, a seat adjacent to Nanded city. A legal professional, Sreejaya has managed Chavan's back-office political affairs. Chavan dismisses allegations of dynastic politics, claiming that Sreejaya has entered politics on her own merits.

Nanded district has been a Chavan family stronghold for the last five decades. Ashok Chavan's father, SB Chavan, was a Congress stalwart who served as Maharashtra’s CM and as a Union Minister. In the 2019 assembly elections, BJP-Shiv Sena alliance won five out of nine assembly seats in Nanded district, while Congress won four. About fifty percent of voters in the district are Marathas, while 27 percent are OBCs. Muslims, Sikhs, SC, and ST communities make up the rest of the electorate.