BRS opens electoral account outside Telangana, wins sarpanch seat in Maharashtra

HYDERABAD: The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) got off the starting block in Maharashtra by registering its first electoral victory outside Telangana in the form of a sarpanch seat in Ambelohal village of Aurangabad district. BRS candidate Gafoor Sardar Pathan won the sarpanch seat with a margin of 115 votes in a by-election held for the village panchayat.

It may be recalled that BRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) had declared his intention to field party candidates in the panchayat elections in Maharashtra despite hurdles placed by the BJP-Shiv Sena combine. Addressing a public meeting in the Kandhar-Loha area of Nanded in May, 2023, he announced that he would build the BRS in the Maratha state right from the grassroots level.

Pathan’s victory, though small in size, is a significant step towards qualitative change in politics that KCR constantly advocates on behalf of the BRS. The victory is expected to have its lasting impression, especially in the wake of the BJP-Shiv Sena combine hurriedly announcing Rs 6,000 input subsidy for farmers to counter the ‘Abki bar Kisan Sarkar’ sentiment epitomised by the BRS.

Where is Ambelohal?

Ambelohal village is located in Gangapur tehsil of Aurangabad district in Maharashtra, just 29 km from sub-district headquarter Gangapur and 28 km away from district headquarter Aurangabad. The total geographical area of the village is 1,045 hectares. Ambelohal has a total population of 4,663 people, out of which the male population is 2,421 and the female population is 2,242. However, the village boasts an impressive literacy rate of 62.15 percent.