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Girish Bapat conspicuous by his absence in Kasba bypoll campaign
A BJP leader on condition of anonymity said that Bapat had a strong grip over Kasba peth and that he is being sorely missed in the lead up to the bypoll
PUNE: At a time when all senior leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are actively participating in the Kasba peth bypoll campaign in a bid to retain the seat, party MP Girish Bapat who has represented the constituency five times and knows it like the palm of his hand, is missing in action due to ill health.
Bapat - a resident of Kasba peth who had represented the constituency in the state legislative assembly five times from the 1990s till 2019 before being elected as MP from Pune – is currently unwell. “Due to health issues, I will not be able to participate in the physical campaign this time,” read a statement issued by him earlier.
On Wednesday, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis made an unscheduled visit to Bapat’s residence in Shaniwar peth to enquire after his health. “Bapat is our leader and gave us tips on how to win the bypoll. Even though he is not keeping well, Bapat is keenly watching the elections,” Fadnavis said after meeting the MP. Senior leaders such as chief minister Eknath Shinde and NCP chief Sharad Pawar too had visited Bapat to enquire after his health. Union home minister Amit Shah is likely to meet Bapat during his visit to the city this week.
A BJP leader on condition of anonymity said that Bapat had a strong grip over Kasba peth and that he is being sorely missed in the lead up to the bypoll.
BJP state spokesperson Sandeep Khardekar said, “We are taking great care in Kasba peth. It is true that Bapat is absent due to ill health but existing candidate Hemant Rasne too has good reach and is a mass leader due to his involvement in Ganesh mandals. We will win but we need to ensure a sizeable victory.”
Another BJP leader on condition of anonymity said, “We need to take care. Though Kasba is our traditional constituency, we should be cautious. We cannot underestimate the opposition candidate as he had earlier given a close fight to Bapat. Though the opposition candidate got defeated twice, his name has already reached the voters twice.”
Meanwhile, Congress leaders claimed that Kasba peth is no longer a BJP stronghold as it used to be. “There are three corporators from Congress and two are from the Shiv Sena. Even NCP has a good voter base. In 1992, the BJP candidate was defeated in the bypoll from this constituency,” said NCP city unit chief Prashant Jagtap.
MNS extends support to BJP candidate in Kasba, Chinchwad
The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on Tuesday officially declared its support to the BJP candidates in Kasba peth and Chinchwad constituencies. The MNS leaders Anil Shidore, Babu Vagaskar and city unit president Nana Bhangire met BJP leaders Madhuri Misal and Murlidhar Mohol and gave an official letter of support to the BJP.
Bapat missing from Kasba campaign
Member of Parliament Girish Bapat earlier issued a press statement which read, “My health is poor since the last three months. I need to undergo dialysis two to three times every week. Considering that, I will not be able to participate in the Kasba peth bypoll campaign physically. The byelection is scheduled on February 26.”
Although Kasba is traditionally a BJP bastion, the party is taking extra care this time. If the Maha Vikas Agadhi (MVA) is successful, it will have an impact on the state government. Even if the BJP candidate wins by a small margin, it will have a negative impact on the municipal elections.
