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BJP defeats MVA candidate to snatch seat from NCP in Pandharpur-Mangalwedha bypoll
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Samadhan Autade defeated his rival candidate and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) nominee backed by Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) Bhagirath Bhalke in a closely contested bypoll for Pandharpur-Mangalwedha seat in Maharashtra’s Solapur district
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Samadhan Autade defeated his rival candidate and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) nominee backed by Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) Bhagirath Bhalke in a closely contested bypoll for Pandharpur-Mangalwedha seat in Maharashtra’s Solapur district.
Bhalke’s defeat dealt a major setback to Maha Vikas Aghadi government, especially the NCP, as the seat was represented by party legislator Bharat Bhalke whose demise due to post-Covid-19 complications in November last year necessitated polls here.
The NCP chose Bharat’s son Bhagirath Bhalke against local businessman Autade, factoring sympathy wave in view of sitting legislator’s demise even as voters preferred otherwise.
Autade was polled 1,09,450 votes compared to 1,05,717 votes to Bhalke at the end of counting, which saw neck-and-neck fight between the two contestants. While Autade won the polls, margin remained slender till 38th round when BJP candidate was declared winner by a difference of 3,733 votes.
Political observers said that the victory for BJP in bypoll is a major boost for the party as its nominee defeated candidate who had backing of three parties – NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena.
“Despite NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena coming together, these parties could not ensure victory for Bhalke in first directly fought battle after MVA came to power in 2019. This will be projected by BJP that it can defeat MVA even if three parties jointly field a candidate,” said Abhay Deshpande, political observer.
From NCP, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar had personally anchored the election for party, right from selecting the candidate to campaigning here for a week in a row.
“The entire MVA government was against me. However, voters of Pandharpur - Mangalwedha sided with me while Prashant Paricharak and other BJP leaders took every possible effort to make this victory possible,” said Autade after the results were declared.
Leader of opposition and former CM Devendra Fadnavis while congratulating Autade, said, “Pandharpur voters showed the mirror to MVA and its misgovernance of one and half years. Despite using all its might, MVA nominee lost elections.”
Earlier in 2019, Autade had fought assembly polls and garnered over 54,000 votes as an independent candidate. During this election, Autade was extended all possible support by BJP leader and its legislator in the Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) Prashant Paricharak. Prashant’s uncle Sudhakar Paricharak, who died of Covid in August last year helped BJP through sympathy vote.
Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut said Pandharpur result is unlikely to have an impact on state politics. “It is true that we should have won this bypoll when all three parties had come together. However, local factors seem to have influenced the outcome,” said Raut.
Besides issue of pending water pipeline project for Mangalwedha, the dues not paid to cane farmers by Bhalke controlled sugar factory went against the NCP candidate.
Congress leader Satej Patil said, “Multiple factors may have contributed to the loss of MVA candidate. I don’t think we fielded a wrong candidate but there may have been some laxity in taking all elements along.”
