BJP Drops Sitting MLA Lakhan Malik From Washim, Fields Shyam Khode (image: facebook.com/shyam.khode.10)

Washim, Maharashtra: In a surprising move, the BJP has cut the assembly ticket of the sitting MLA Lakhan Malik and given the opportunity to new face Shyam Khode in Washim constituency. Malik has been representing the seat since 2009. Prior to this, he won in 1990. Though he is a well-known MLA, the party lacks confidence in him. His underwhelming performance in the constituency is being criticised and there was an absence of support for him within the party itself.

Malik broke down as soon as he heard that his nomination was cut. “Honesty served the party. I have not done any corruption. The party should have put some faith in me,” Loksatta quotes, as Malik is saying.

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Khode, the BJP nominee, is the state secretary of the party’s Scheduled Castes Morcha. He is also the Washim District Convener of Baba Bageshwardham Bhakta Parivar. He served as the city president of the BJP. Hailing from Mangrulpir town in the constituency, Khode belongs to the Mehtar community.

Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena (Thackeray) faction has fielded Siddharth Devale against Khode in the constituency. A cardiologist by profession, Devale contested the polls on the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) ticket in the 2019 assembly elections and came runner-up. Malik won the seat, securing 66,159 votes, defeating Deole with a margin of 13,695 votes.

Washim constituency is a Scheduled Castes reserve seat. The 288 Assembly seats in Maharashtra will go to polls on November 20 and counting of votes will take place on November 23.

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The ruling Mahayuti alliance consists of the BJP, the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led breakaway faction of the Shiv Sena, and the deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar’s faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).  The opposition alliance comprise the INDIA bloc’s MVA or the Maha Vikas Aghadi, which has the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), or SS (UBT) led by former CM Uddhav Thackeray, the NCP (SP) faction led by Sharad Pawar and the Congress.