There is perhaps no more volatile Assembly segment in Marathwada ahead of the November 20 polls than in Sillod, where the schisms within the ruling Mahayuti coalition are at its peak.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has drawn a significant line with the local unit declaring that it will not campaign for its ally Abdul Sattar, a senior minister of Eknath Shinde’s ruling Shiv Sena candidate, who is seeking re-election from Sillod (in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district) for a fourth time.
Sattar, currently the state’s Minister for Minorities Development, has long been a polarising figure. Kamlesh Kataria, the city BJP president, accused Sattar of actively working to finish the BJP’s presence in Sillod and was allegedly threatening its workers. Kataria has accused Sattar of working against the BJP’s interests despite the two parties being allies by citing Sattar’s support for Congress candidate Kalyan Kale in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which led to BJP stalwart Raosaheb Danve’s defeated in nearby Jalna constituency.
Originally elected as a Congress candidate in 2009 and 2014, Sattar had joined the undivided Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray ahead of the 2019 assembly elections, where he again emerged victorious. Post the Sena split, he aligned himself with the ruling Shinde faction.
The discontent with Sattar goes beyond electoral calculations. His personal brand of politics has become a liability, both within his party and beyond. His comments and actions have drawn ire from various quarters. More recently, his involvement in a teacher eligibility test (TET) scam, in which his daughters were named, has further tarnished his reputation. The scam, which involved the inflating of exam marks and the distribution of fake certificates, has added another layer of controversy to his already volatile political persona. Earlier, his provocative language against prominent leaders, including NCP’s Supriya Sule, triggered widespread protests.
The growing resentment among BJP workers in the region has paved the way for his arch rival, Suresh Bankar, to seize the day in a bid to settle scores with the Sena leader.
Bankar, a former BJP state secretary with deep ties to the disgruntled wing of the party, has now joined the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and will be facing Sattar on November 20.
Bankar, who has clashed with Sattar before, has accused him of manipulating voter rolls in Sillod, alleging that the names of supporters from outside the constituency were fraudulently registered to boost Sattar’s chances in previous elections.
For Sattar, this is merely the latest chapter in a series of controversies that have dogged his career. His combative approach to politics - often marked by inflammatory rhetoric and allegations of misconduct -has put him at odds with allies and rivals alike. While he remains a key player in the Shinde faction in this region, the BJP’s public repudiation of his candidacy signals a formidable challenge for him in the coming contest.
The BJP’s decision not to support Sattar will have far-reaching implications for the minister, given that Bankar and the local BJP unit will actively conspire to pull him down. Can the abrasive Sattar maintain his political footing on Sillod’s slippery wicket?
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