Sat Nov 23 22:59:06 UTC 2024: **BJP’s Atul Save Wins Aurangabad East Seat in Nail-Biting Finish**
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra – BJP candidate Atul Save secured a narrow victory in the Aurangabad East constituency, defeating AIMIM’s Imtiaz Jaleel by a margin of 1,777 votes. The election results, announced late on November 23rd, saw a dramatic turnaround. Jaleel held a lead for most of the counting process, but Save made a significant comeback in the final rounds, ultimately securing a 2,800-vote lead in the final tally.
The contest, which featured 29 candidates, was primarily a two-horse race between Save and Jaleel. A voter turnout of 60.63% was recorded, slightly lower than the 2019 figure. Of the 354,633 eligible voters, 215,029 cast their ballots.
The election campaign heavily focused on the Maratha vote bank, estimated at 38,000-42,000 voters in the constituency. While the BJP hoped to secure the support of older Maratha voters, younger voters reportedly favored other parties. Political analysts attribute Save’s win to a combination of Dalit, OBC, and a segment of Maratha votes, as the Maratha vote appeared to be split among BJP, Congress, AIMIM, and NOTA.
First Piper 