Sat Nov 23 13:14:23 UTC 2024: ## Tight Race in Aurangabad West Assembly By-Election: Shinde vs. Shinde
**Aurangabad, November 22, 2024:** The Aurangabad West Assembly by-election, considered a Shiv Sena stronghold, concluded today with a close contest between two factions of the party. The election, which saw 18 candidates vying for the seat, was largely fought on issues of Hindutva and land disputes in the Satara region.
The main contenders were Raju Shinde, representing Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, and sitting MLA Sanjay Shinde of the Eknath Shinde faction. Both candidates confidently predicted their victory, with Raju Shinde claiming a lead of 40,000-50,000 votes and Sanjay Shinde anticipating a win by 20,000-25,000 votes. The final results will be declared on November 23.
The by-election witnessed a higher voter turnout (60.58%) compared to the 2019 Assembly elections (59.55%). The increased participation remains a point of speculation until the results are announced.
The campaign saw sharp contrasts. Sanjay Shinde, who remained loyal to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde after the party split, accused Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena of misleading voters on Hindutva, claiming that voting for them was tantamount to supporting the AIMIM. In contrast, Eknath Shinde focused on local development issues and land disputes in the Satara and Deolai areas.
The outcome of this election is eagerly awaited, as it will provide further insight into the political landscape of Maharashtra and the strength of the two Shiv Sena factions.
First Piper 