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RS polls outcome: With Mahadik’s win, BJP hopes for resurgence in Kolhapur
The latest win of Mahadik, a powerful sugar baron who also controls Rajaram sugar mill, can help the party in the upcoming local body
PUNE Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominee Dhananjay Mahadik’s victory in Rajya Sabha has given confidence to party cadre in western Maharashtra’s Kolhapur, the region is currently being controlled politically by Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
BJP’s Mahadik defeated Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Pawar to win 6th and final Rajya Sabha seat from Maharashtra in thrilling contest.
After the formation of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, the BJP was on the back foot in western Maharashtra.
With the loss in the recent assembly bypolls, BJP cadre were demoralised as the party did not have representation from the district neither in the state assembly, nor in the Lok Sabha.
During the Kolhapur north bypolls, BJP nominee Satyajit Kadam was defeated by Congress candidate Jayashree Jadhav, which was a jolt to BJP state unit chief Chandrakant Patil, who hails from the region.
The latest win of Mahadik, a powerful sugar baron who also controls Rajaram sugar mill, can help the party in the upcoming local body polls at Zilla Parishad and Kolhapur Municipal Corporation
Between 2014 and 2019, when the saffron party was in power, they had made inroads in the region, with the BJP ensuring many stalwarts from NCP and Congress joining their loyalties. However, in 2019 the equation changed when the MVA came to power.
Since the past two decades, the Mahadik family has been politically active in Kolhapur.
Reacting to Mahadik’s win, Chandrakant Patil said, the outcome will have a positive reflection in the upcoming polls. “The party and its workers are elated over the win. It has shown that many independent MLAs are not with MVA, which has also lost trust of people. This will definitely help BJP in the upcoming elections,” Patil said.
Known for switching sides, Mahadik in 2004 contested Lok Sabha election against NCP’s Sadashiv Mandlik but was defeated.He emerged winner as Kolhapur MP in 2014 as a NCP member. In 2019, he unsuccessfully contested LS polls and was defeated by Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Mandlik. He then joined BJP and started controlling local politics.Mahadik’s main base is in cooperative sector. Gokul, a prominent cooperative institute was once dominated by his family.
“The credit of my victory goes to BJP and party leader Devendra Fadanvis’s strategy. I will make sure party expands base in the coming days,” said Mahadik, who arrived in Pune on Saturday and met two ailing BJP MLAs Laxman Jagtap and Mukta Tilak.
BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis said, “Maha Vikas Aghadi had a candidate from Kolhapur and we too had a candidate from same place. We were victorious and this was our birthday gift to party state unit president Patil, who celebrated his birthday on June 10.”
BJP leaders from western Maharashtra expressed happiness and put out various messages on social media congratulating the party for the win. This indicates that the victory has given the much-needed boost to the party cadre.
