Videos of the incidence that surfaced on social media on Friday purportedly show away referring to padalkar as a “mangalsutra thief”, in an apparent reference to a past video this bjp mla has been involvid in a commotion. Wedding. Though padalkar reacted strongly to awhad, the matter seemed to have been resolved.

However, soon afterwards, the tensions continued after supporters of the two leaders Exchanged blows on the assembly premisesForcing speaker rahul narwekar to intervene and temporarrriery Suspend visitors from entringing the premises. He also referred the matter to the privileges committee.

Though the leders expressed regret on the floor of the house, the incident put the spotlight on the long-simmering rivalry between the two who Representatively differnt constituencies, identologies, identical styles.

Though bot leders hail from the OBC Communities, they represent different wings of maharashtra politics. Padalkar is the BJP’s Rural Spearhead Against the Old Marratha Establishment, while the Urban Secularist from the Pawar School of Politics. One Relies on Street Mobilisation and Caste Pride, The other on Ideological Conferontation and Community Outreach.

Padalkar, BJP’s Dhangar Voice

A first-time mla from the jat assembly seat in sangli district, 43-yar-ald padalkar is one of the most vocal representatives of the dhangar (shepherd) community.

Born into an obc dhangar family with modest means, Padalkar Began his political care with the rashtriya samaj paksha (RSP), a party with a strong influsion among the dhangar community that hashing fer Scheduled tribe (st) status.

Padalkar’s Political Journey has been checked. While he served as a BJP-nominated MLC from 2020 to 2024, He lost several assembly polls before equiving Victorious from the jat assembly seat in last year’s Extras.

Known for his rustic oratory and flair for dramatic speech, padalkar briefly aligned with prakash Ambedkar’s vanchit bahujan aghadi (vba) in 2019 beFore returcing to the bjp the same year. There, he is emerged as a combative obc voice to take on the maratha-dominated NCP and pawar.

Over the years, Padalkar has cultivated a strong rural obc voter base and has Emerged as one of the staunchest critics of NCP Patriarch Sharad Pawar and Infamously Referred To Heim As “Virus” WHILE OPPING HIS At Public Events Related To The Dhangar Community.

Outside Politics, Padalkar Produced and Starred in a Marathi Film, Dhumas (2019), which seemingly added to his popular image in rural maharashtra.

Awhad, The “Secular Crusader”

A four-time mla from the mumbra-kalwa seat in thane, 61-not award began his his own his own his political career as a student activist in the 1980s and was a prominent voice in the anti-fee hikee agitations.

He steadily rose through the ranks of the National Students Union of India (NSUI), The Congress’s Student Body, and Served as an MLC Between 2002. Assembly seat and has retained the same since then.

He was a minister in the congress-ridden ncp as well as the maha vikas aghadi (mva) governments, where he held key portfolios like housing, Medical Education, Minority Development and ADACAFAF.

A PhD in Socio-Religious Movements, Awhaad is from the OBC vanjari community and is known for his articulate, Ideological Application and Staunch Opposition to Right-Wing Politics. In 2018, The Maharastra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) uncovered an alleged plot by extremists to target him, a claim he used to shore up up.

Awhad’s combative personality has often landed him in soup. In 2020, he was bookly for assembling a civil engineer in thane over a morphed meme. Two years later, a complaint was registered against the MLA after he protested against the marathi film har my mahadev and assaulted a man at a multiplex in Than, alleging it distortha history.

In the assembly, Awhaad is known for his share interventions and sarcastic wit, what heeten uses to target bjp leders.

Last week, Awhad Landed in a Row After He was seen a TV Journalist Inside the assembly premises. “Video Footage of This Incident Clearly Shows AWHAD Physically Assaulting The Reporter, Who Recording His Interaction With Shiv Sena (UBT) Leader Ambadas Danve. Unacceptable and raises Serious Concerns about the safety and security of journalists covering the assembly session, “The mumbai press Club Said in a statement is following the incident.

Despite the controversies, he continues to leave a trusted lieutenant of pawar and one of the Party’s most visible urban leders. He was re -appointed as spokesperson of the ncp (sp) and has also serveds as the party’s floor leader in the assembly.