Pune: The Congress nominee backed by Maha Vikas Aghadi’s (MVA) Ravindra Dhangekar emerged victorious against Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Hemant Rasane in Kasba assembly constituency where bypolls were necessitated due to the demise of BJP legislator Mukta Tilak.
With the victory, the Congress has managed to breach the three-decade-long BJP’s stronghold over central parts of Pune where it has won the assembly and local body polls.
Dhangekar was polled 73,309 votes and managed to win by a margin of 10,915 votes against Rasane who managed to garner 62,394 votes. Though it was expected that NOTA will get more votes, 1,401 were cast in the constituency under the category. Total voting in Kasba was 138,381.
In Chinchwad, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was able to save the seat and Late Laxman Jagtap’s wife Aswini Jagtap won by defeating Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate Nana Kate.
Since 1975, the Congress had won the Kasba Peth seat only twice. From 1995, the BJP had retained the seat for consecutive terms till the bypoll saw Congress candidate defeating Rasane.
Kasba and Kothrud assembly constituencies are considered as the BJP’s bastion. It is assumed that whoever from the saffron party represents the two constituencies would win the polls. But Dhangekar defeated the BJP candidate Rasane. This election would be remembered for Congress party’s victory in Kasba. Though the Congress victory would not able to make any difference on the state level, it has boosted the confidence of Maha Vikas Aghadi and displayed a change in the voter’s mindset.
{{/usCountry}}Kasba and Kothrud assembly constituencies are considered as the BJP’s bastion. It is assumed that whoever from the saffron party represents the two constituencies would win the polls. But Dhangekar defeated the BJP candidate Rasane. This election would be remembered for Congress party’s victory in Kasba. Though the Congress victory would not able to make any difference on the state level, it has boosted the confidence of Maha Vikas Aghadi and displayed a change in the voter’s mindset.
{{/usCountry}}“This is a victory of people who voted for me. Since the beginning it was a fight between money and muscle power on one hand, and common citizens on the other,” Dhangekar said.
Rasane conceded his defeat saying, “The fight was straight between the BJP and the Congress. As a candidate, I will introspect the result and rectify mistakes,” said Rasane.
For the BJP, multiple things did not work in its favour, starting from disappointment among the Brahmin community about denial of ticket to member of Tilak family after Mukta Tilak’s demise three months ago. The anti-incumbency against party among voters for lack of development work on the ground also reflected in the polling in favour of Dhangekar, said political observers.
On the MVA’s part, its campaign reflected coordination with Congress managing to field a strong candidate in Dhangekar. Both sides fought the bypoll fiercely. These polls pitted the BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena against the MVA alliance of the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray).
“For me, it’s joy and sadness as in Kasba Peth our candidate won the polls, but in Chinchwad NCP candidate lost,” said Ajit Pawar, leader of Opposition.
From the Maha Vikas Agadi, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar; Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray, Aditya Thackeray and from Congress’ Nana Patole, Balasaheb Thorat, Ashok Chavan and Prithviraj Chavan participated in the poll campaign.