Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
In a swift political move, Congress replaced retired education officer M.K. Deshmukh with Lahuji Shewale on Sunday as the candidate for the Aurangabad East assembly seat after facing strong backlash from party workers and Mahavikas Aghadi allies. This decision reflects the party's response to growing dissent.
The Aurangabad East seat is allocated to Congress within the Mahavikas Aghadi, where there was a strong demand for a Muslim candidate due to the significant Muslim voter population. However, the unexpected announcement of M.K. Deshmukh, a non-Congress member, sparked controversy. Minority communities sought representation, and the Uddhav Sena also claimed a stake in the seat. Deshmukh faced fierce opposition from Muslim activists and the Sharad Pawar faction, leading Congress workers to stage a sit-in protest outside Gandhi Bhawan, demanding his removal. Ultimately, Lahuji Shewale emerged as the candidate, marking a rare opportunity for a grassroots worker in Congress. This is a rare instance of Congress providing such an opportunity to a grassroots worker.
\ILahuji Shewale remarked, "I never officially asked for a candidacy, but the call for Congress to represent the OBC and Dhangar communities was clear. I’m pleased to see that demand met."\I
Lahuji Shewale has been a dedicated Congress worker for five years and founded his organization, Malhar Sena, in 2009. In 2022, he led a human chain from CSN to Jalna to advocate for the Dhangar community's inclusion in the Scheduled Tribes list, sending 1.1 million letters to the government in support of this demand.