Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar campaign ends amid party rifts and unrest

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Campaigning for the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation elections ended at 5pm on Tuesday after a bruising fortnight that exposed deep fault lines across parties, triggered street protests and kept the police on constant alert.Senior politicians, including chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who renewed his promise of regular water supply to the city, deputy chief ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, and minister Nilesh Rane, addressed rallies until the final hours, as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar headed into polling after one of its most volatile civic campaigns. Amid all this, Congress and NCP (SP) not only failed to cash in on the internal dissent in BJP and AIMIM, but also failed to present themselves as alternatives.The political storm first started when talks between Shiv Sena and BJP failed to translate into a pre-poll alliance despite several rounds of negotiations. This temporarily gave a sigh of relief to both parties, which saw an opportunity to accommodate their respective loyalists and capable party workers. BJP and Sena functionaries blamed each other for the failed alliance.This was soon followed by unprecedented unrest within BJP, largely over the denial of tickets to loyalists and allegations that ministers favoured their personal assistants and relatives and gave them tickets.Angry BJP workers launched hunger strikes, attempted self-immolation, broke open the door of a party office, and even sprayed black paint on the vehicles of minister Atul Save and Rajya Sabha MP and former union minister Bhagwat Karad. The BJP's declared stand that relatives of sitting MLAs and MPs would not be given tickets effectively ended the civic poll ambitions of Harshvardhan Karad, son of Bhagwat Karad, and Harshvardhan Kenekar, son of BJP MLC Sanjay Kenekar. Amid this, BJP suspended 22 party workers for their anti-party activities.On the other hand, political turbulence in the old city spilt onto the streets and into police stations. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) found itself battling intense internal dissent after denying tickets to over 20 sitting corporators. In some localities, AIMIM state president and former MP Imtiaz Jaleel's photographs were torn and trampled, highlighting the scale of resentment.The anger manifested dramatically, with eggs thrown at Jaleel, an attack on his SUV, and an alleged attempt to drag him out and assault him. Police also resorted to a mild lathicharge to disperse rival groups. An FIR was registered at the Jinsi police station against Kaleem Qureshi, his brother Habib, and around 60 others, following a clash between Qureshi and Jaleel's supporters in which police themselves were the complainants. Two members of the Qureshi family, including Kaleem, are Congress candidates.A counter FIR was later filed by Habib's wife, Maleka, at City Chowk police station against AIMIM candidate Feroz Khan and his family members.To contain the damage, AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi and MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi camped extensively in the city. Asaduddin Owaisi undertook four foot marches, spread across two days, covering areas where party candidates are in the fray.The campaign also highlighted contrasting approaches to dynastic politics. While BJP barred relatives of its MPs and MLAs, politicians from Shiv Sena fielded family members, including district guardian minister Sanjay Shirsat's daughter Harshada and son Siddhant, and Aurangabad Central MLA Pradip Jaiswal's son Rishikesh. From Shiv Sena (UBT), former four-time MP Chandrakant Khaire's nephew Sachin, and MLC and former leader of opposition Ambadas Danve's brother Rajendra, are contesting.