The saffron alliance has put up a united show against the divided Congress party in the district which had been the Congress bastion till the 1995 assembly elections. The saffron alliance had won eight seats while two were won by former :Congress minister Arun Gukarathi and Ramesh Chaudheri, one by Janata Dal nominee Mahendrasinh Patil and one by an independent Omkarappa Wagh.

The politically sensitive level-Patils, Marwadi, Maratha and Muslim communities are major deciding factor in this district where the ruling SS-BJP had spread its wings. BJP has filled the former zilla parishad president YG Mahajan against the Congress-I's former MP Ulhas Patil and the Nationalist Congress Party's nominee and former minister JT Mahajan (all belongs to the Level Patil community) in the Jalgaon Lok Sabha seat which was snatchedby the Congress-I from the BJP.

In case of the Erandol Lok Sabha constituency, the BJP has nominated former MP MK Anna Patil who is seeking a hat-trick against Congress party candidate VJ Patil and the NCP nominee VJ More.

Veteran Congress leaders such as Madhukar Chaudhari and JT Mahajan who are in the NCP fold have joined hands together in a bid to establish supremacy in both the Lok Sabha constituencies. However, they have to face a challenge from the established leaders like Sureshdada Jain who is a Shiv Sena nominee from the Jalgaon assembly constituency and the state irrigation minister Ekanath Khadase (BJP) who is trying his luck for the third successive time from the Edalabad assembly segment. The Congress-I which has left in lurch after the formation of NCP has been banking upon the good will enjoyed by Ulhas Patil. The party also has thin presence in the cooperative sector.

Ironically, both the Congress parties are stronger enough organisationally to taken an advantage of anti-incumbency wavein the district. These parties were unable to corner Khadase who had come under severe attack for the alleged corruption in the development of various irrigation projects in the Krishna valley. For Khadase, it is a fight for political survival as a veteran Congress-I leader Pratibha Patil has challenged the former's supremacy in the Edalabad.

On the other hand, these parties were failed to take on Jain whose tenure as the state housing minister has been criticised several times both in and outside the state legislature.

It must be mentioned here that Jain faces contest from his very own follower Bhila Sonawane (Ind) from the Jalgaon assembly segment. Interestingly, Sonawane who had been tipped as the natural heir apparent by Jain had challenged his mentor. Sonawane had been the president of the Jalgaon zilla parishad and the director of the district cooperative bank. Incidentally, Jain who deserted the Congress about two and half years ago to join the Shiv Sena is confident to retain his supremacy in hisconstituency. He told The Financial Express that he does not see any challenge from Sonawane or from the NCP candidate.

Jain who has been responsible for the "facelift" of the Jalgaon said that the voters would give him another chance to further speed up the development of the city. It also be mentioned here that the banana growers with an annual turnover of Rs,2,000 crore will also play a decisive role in the coming elections. At present the banana growers who cultivate in 40,000 hectares have been supporting all parties. However, with the implementation of the Rs 4,800 crore irrigation projects by the Tapi Irrigation Development Corporation another 60,000 hectares of land is likely to be brought under the banana cultivation.