Maharashtra’s Pandharpur all set for MLA bypoll tomorrow

Amid controversies and allegations of corruption against the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA), an election battle is set in motion for the Pandharpur-Mangalwedha Assembly constituency in Solapur district of western Maharashtra

Amid controversies and allegations of corruption against the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA), an election battle is set in motion for the Pandharpur-Mangalwedha Assembly constituency in Solapur district of western Maharashtra. The contest is being seen as a test for the three-party coalition as it is the first Assembly bypoll since MVA came to power in 2019. Also, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has made the contest more interesting by linking it with the dislodging of the Uddhav Thackeray-led government.

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“Leave it to me on when the government needs to be changed, don’t worry about that. But now the bypoll is necessary as the people of Pandharpur got the first chance to show the government, which is involved in all sorts or corrupt practices, its place…. You just elect Samadhan Autade,” former chief minister (CM) and leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis said, while addressing a campaign rally on Monday.

Deputy CM and senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar, while addressing another campaign rally on Thursday – the last day for campaigning – responded by saying, “The one who can dislodge this government is yet to be born… We don’t poke our nose in others’ business but also don’t spare those who try to cross our path.”

The voting will be held on April 17.

BJP is making all the efforts to win the seat to prove that there is a discontent against the Thackeray government. NCP, too, has put all its force, and most of its senior leaders, including Pawar and state chief Jayant Patil, have been campaigning aggressively. Baramati parliamentarian and party chief Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule, too, addressed a rally through video-conferencing.

State Congress chief Nana Patole campaigned for the candidate Bhagirath Bhalke on Thursday. However, no senior Shiv Sena leader found to have campaigned for the NCP candidate. Sena rebel Shaila Godse is contesting the bypoll as an Independent. The party could not persuade her to withdraw her candidature. To control possible damage, Pawar has been meeting local Sena leaders to ensure they will also put their strength behind Bhalke in the bypoll, said an NCP leader.

NCP fielded Bhalke after his father Bharat, the sitting legislator, died last November. He will face BJP’s Autade, who had fought the last Assembly elections as an independent candidate and secured the third position after getting 54,124 votes. In 2014, he got 40,910 votes as a Shiv Sena candidate.

Bharat Bhalke was a three-term legislator and NCP is hoping that the sympathy will work in his son’s favour, as he is trying to take his father’s legacy ahead.

“MVA is in a strong position in Solapur as all the three parties — Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress — are united in fighting the election against BJP. Our position became stronger after BJP leader Kalyan Kale joined NCP recently. People have sympathy for Bhalke as his father has brought so much development in the constituency which will ultimately help him in this election,” said Deepak Salunkhe Patil, vice-president NCP and former legislator from Solapur district.

Political analysts believe that BJP has better prospects, as it has brought Autade and Prashant Paricharak together for the polls. The Paricharak family has a strong base and sympathies in Pandharpur. Paricharak’s uncle Sudhakar was a five-term legislator from the constituency. “The constituency is divided into three major groups, each led by Bhalke, Paricharak and Autade. By fielding Autade, BJP has brought Paricharak and Autade together against Bhalke making it a tough fight for MVA. Fadnavis has also given the responsibility of Autade’s election to Paricharak by assuring him better prospects in coming future,” said the editor of a Marathi daily, who did not wished to be named.

However, Paricharak wanted BJP to field his nephew Pranay but the party chose Autade over him, which may not have gone down well with the family and his supporters, it is believed.

State BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhye said, “The state government has failed to provide any relief to the farmers after coming to power, which we have highlighted in our campaign. Moreover, they chose to disconnect the power connections of agriculture pumps, adding to farmers’ misery. They should have realised that the agrarian community is in trouble and have no money to pay the power bills,” he said.

The disconnection of power is a major issue which may go against the NCP candidate. But people have sympathy with Bhalke, said the editor.