Defeat in two constituencies, thin victory margins worry BJP leaders

PUNE The workers of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are raising voice against the leadership for the party’s defeat in two assembly constituencies namely Hadapsar and

PUNE The workers of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are raising voice against the leadership for the party’s defeat in two assembly constituencies namely Hadapsar and Wadgaonsheri and dip in vote share in Shivajinagar, Khadakwasla and Cantonment constituencies in the recently held state assembly elections.

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A senior leader from BJP on condition of anonymity said if it would not have been sitting MLA Yogesh Tilekar in Hadapsar the party would have won in the constituency.

“The opposition parties from the last two years have damaged Tilekar’s image. They had levelled corruption charges against him along with various documentary proofs, but instead of warning Tilekar, the senior party leaders backed him,” he said.

“Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis himself attended campaigns in Hadapsar in support of Tilekar. The voters were unhappy and so BJP lost in Hadapsar constituency,” the leader added.

Another BJP leader on condition of anonymity said, “In Cantonment the party removed Dilip Kamble from the minister of state’s position and indirectly accepted that his performance was not up to the mark, but gave a ticket to his brother Sunil Kamble, so voters were disappointed and the victory margin dipped.”

Also, the less victory margin as compared to Lok Sabha elections held this year is a reason to worry for the BJP in Shivajinagar and Khadakwasla constituencies, the leaders pointed out.

Shivajinagar

Siddharth Shirole (BJP)- 58,727

Datta Bahirat (Congress) – 53,440

Difference – 5,287

Khadakwasla

Bhimrao Tapkir (BJP) – 1,20,518

Sachin Dodke (NCP)- 1,17,923

Difference – 2,595

Pune Cantonment

Sunil Kamble (BJP)- 52,160

Ramesh Bagwe (Congress)- 47,148

Difference – 5,052