The Maratha-OBC quota issue and fluctuating onion prices are likely to shape the electoral outcome in Maharashtra's Yevla assembly constituency, where NCP minister Chhagan Bhujbal is trying his luck again. Yevla, located in Nashik district, is known for housing one of the largest onion wholesale markets in India.
NCP stalwart Bhujbal's strong opposition to Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange has bolstered his support among the OBC communities but risks alienating a portion of Maratha voters in his first election since the party's split. His former ally, now turned opponent, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) candidate Manikrao Shinde, who belongs to the Maratha community, asserted that the electorate’s loyalty to Sharad Pawar would work in his favor.
Bhujbal has taken a resolute stand against Jarange's demand for a Maratha quota within the Other Backward Classes (OBC) share. Despite Bharati Pawar's loss from the Dindori Lok Sabha constituency (encompassing Yevla) earlier this year, Bhujbal remains confident of victory.
Yevla, known for the famous Paithani sarees and its substantial onion trade through the Lasalgaon APMC, has 3,26,626 voters, including approximately 1.35 lakh Marathas. Bhujbal, from the Mali OBC community, began his career as a vegetable vendor in Mumbai’s Byculla market and was one of the early members of Bal Thackeray's Shiv Sena in 1966, advocating for Marathi pride. He later joined the Congress in 1991 under Chief Minister Sharad Pawar and expanded his influence among the OBCs. Last year, after the NCP was split, Bhujbal sided with Ajit Pawar.
Manikrao Shinde, once Bhujbal's aide during the latter's 2004 assembly election win on a Congress ticket, is now challenging him. Bhujbal previously represented the Mazgaon assembly constituency in Mumbai in 1985 and 1990 as a Shiv Sena legislator. He is confident of success in this assembly fight but an associate close to him noted the "strong excitement" among Maratha youth for Jarange, viewing him as one of their own. "While Bhujbal’s opposition to Jarange’s demand for the Maratha quota under the OBC category was technically justified, it has negatively impacted the young voters,” the aide said.
Manikrao Shinde highlighted voter allegiance to Sharad Pawar as a decisive factor. “We tolerated Bhujbal because Pawar nominated him in every election. However, Bhujbal engaged in divisive politics. When Bhujbal went against Pawar’s wishes and joined the government alongside Ajit Pawar, Sharad Pawar held a rally in Yevla to apologise to the people for posing trust in Bhujbal,” Shinde said. “Since then, a significant number of Sharad Pawar’s supporters have started to distance themselves from Bhujbal.”
Shinde pointed out the farmers’ dissatisfaction with the BJP, citing the Dindori Lok Sabha election. “A little-known candidate running against Bharati Pawar received over one lakh votes, still she lost the election by more than one lakh votes to NCP (SP) nominee Bhaskar Bhagare. His namesake candidate was supposed to eat into Bhagare’s votes and help Pawar win, but it did not happen because farmers from everywhere (in the constituency) were angry,” Shinde said.
Shinde also disclosed that he recently met Jarange and sought his support. “It would be helpful to get an endorsement from Jarange as he has strong support in our community. People relate to his speeches, and they feel he is genuinely raising their issues,” he said.
Bhujbal, however, emphasised the importance of personal connections in assembly elections. “It (voting pattern) is beyond party lines. I have undertaken numerous development works, and I have been doing it for years. People will not forget it so easily when it comes to voting,” he stated.
(With inputs from PTI)