MUMBAI: In the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections, BJP leader and Minister Girish Mahajan, often seen as the party’s troubleshooter, faces an unexpected challenge in his Jamner constituency. Despite winning the seat five times, Mahajan is contending with rising discontent among cotton farmers, a lack of irrigation facilities, and high unemployment rates in the region.Mahajan, who once led a hunger strike in 2011 to demand a fair price of Rs 6,000 per quintal for cotton, now faces criticism after 13 years as the cotton is sold at the same rate against the MSP of Rs 7500 per quintal. Therefore, cotton belts in North Maharashtra are angry with the ruling party and are demanding fair prices for their crops.Sanjay Patil, a farmer from Shendurni in Jamner, Jalgaon district, planted cotton on his four-acre plot, investing Rs 80,000 in seeds, fertilisers, and labour. However, his yield was only worth Rs 60,000, resulting in a significant loss. “This year has been a double blow,” Patil said. “Heavy rains severely reduced cotton production, and fair prices are hard to come by. We couldn’t even recoup our investment. We hoped to recover expenses in the second season, but crops that looked promising were ultimately damaged by the pink bollworm infestation.”When asked if his wife received financial aid under the Ladki Bahena scheme, Mr. Patil acknowledged it but immediately detailed the losses he faced this year. “Firstly, the government isn’t doing us any favour; Rs 1,500 isn’t enough to cover household and rising expenses. Frankly, we don’t need handouts like beggars—we need fair prices for our crops,” Patil stated.In the 2024 state assembly elections, BJP leader Mahajan represents a broader trend across many constituencies, where BJP and its allies are facing significant discontent, primarily from farmers and unemployed youth, in North Maharashtra—a region that has traditionally been a BJP stronghold. In the 2014 state polls, the BJP secured 15 out of 19 assembly seats across the Khandesh region, covering Jalgaon, Dhule, and Nandurbar districts, with the opposition holding only four seats (three for Congress and one for NCP, which is now with the ruling party). However, by the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, BJP’s seat count dropped from four to two, reflecting a shift in voter support.In Jamner, Mahajan is up against former ally Dilip Khodpe this time , a prominent local leader and former Jalgaon District Panchayat president. Khodpe, belonging to the Maratha sub-caste Asami, is expected to draw support from Marathas, Banjaras, Dalits, and Muslims—key communities in the area. Analysts suggest this could lead to a surprising outcome, similar to recent upsets by opposition candidates in Ahmednagar and Beed in the Lok Sabha elections.”If these communities vote sincerely, along with the anger of farmers and unemployed youth directed against Mahajan, Jamner could deliver a surprising result like those of NCP’s Nilesh Lanke in Ahmednagar, Bhaskar Bhagae in Dindori, and Bajrang Sonawane in Beed,” said a local journalist who wished to remain anonymous.A similar wave of anti-incumbency is affecting the ruling party MLAs. In many areas, BJP rebels have turned the contests triangular, adding pressure on Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena candidates in Pachora, Amalner, and Jalgaon Rural.“In Lok Sabha elections, we vote based on the BJP, but in state polls, we look at the candidate and the work they’ve done during their tenure. We want a candidate who is accessible, someone who can pick up our calls and help when needed. Khandesh produces high-quality cotton and bananas, yet there’s no food processing or textile industry here. Most of the old textile mills have closed, and while this area once thrived in milk production, even the dairies have shut down. Qualified youth here are jobless, and that affects their prospects for marriage, creating a ripple effect in society. But no one seems to hear the people’s voice,” said Ranjeet Shinde, a social activist.
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