Raosaheb Danve: Anti-Incumbency Was Never A Question For Jalna MP; Will It Be This Time? (image:facebook.com/raosahebpatildanve)

Raosaheb Patil Danve currently serves as a Minister of State for Railways, Coal, and Mines. A veteran BJP leader, he represented Jalna Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra fifth consecutive term. In the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, by fielding him in Jalna, the BJP leadership is undoubtedly looking for a comfortable win.

Raosaheb Danve, the Maratha face of the party, hails from the backward region of Marathwad. Rooted in grass-roots politics, he began his political journey as a village Sarpanch, then rose in the ranks by acquiring responsible positions such as legislator, parliamentarian, cabinet minister, and minister of state in the Modi government twice.

In 2014, when the BJP-Shiva Sena alliance came to power in Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, then chief minister-elect, had to step down from the state party chief position. The BJP leadership found a suitable replacement in Raosaheb Danve, who then offered to resign his ministerial post in the first Modi government and took charge of the BJP in the state.

After Suryabhan Vahadane Patil, Danve became the second BJP leader to take reign as party chief alongside being a parliamentarian. The caste factor, the dominance of the Brahmin community, represented by Devendra Fadnavis in the state, has gained a balance with the appointment of the Maratha leader as the party president. Under Raosaheb Danve”s realm, the saffron party expanded its influence the state”s rural regions, and in the following several local elections, the rural votes integrated with BJP votes in the urban centers and swept high.

Though his remarks have stirred controversy several times, they have not affected his political image or lessened his influence in the region. In the upcoming polls, the Maratha leader is confident of his sixth win. Moreover, Jalna parliamentary constituency is considered as BJP”s stronghold.