Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, formerly Aurangabad, in Maharashtra will be at the centre of the state’s political action today, April 2, as the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) rally and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s Savarkar Gaurav Yatra are held. Both of these incidents occurred just days after rioting and arson occurred in Marathwada’s largest city. At least 12 people were injured, including 10 police officers, after a mob of 500 people hurled stones and petrol-filled bottles at police officers attempting to control the situation following a clash between two groups near the Ram temple in Aurangabad’s Kiradpura neighbourhood on the night of Wednesday and Thursday. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, senior Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar, and Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole will lead the MVA rally today evening at the Marathwada Sanskrutik Mandal ground.Subhash Desai, leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT). “The rally preparations are complete. The stadium will be packed, and we have made plans to set up equipment so that people outside the venue can hear the speeches “Subhash Desai, leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT), stated after inspecting the site on Saturday. The city is now calm, and the previous incidents will have no bearing on the rally, he said, adding that at least five to six such rallies will be held across the state. Meanwhile, the MVA, which was formed following the 2019 Maharashtra elections and remained in power until the Thackeray-led government collapsed in June 2022, is made up of Shiv Sena (UBT), Nationalist Congress Party, and Congress.
