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MVA wins BJP-dominated Pune graduates’ constituency
MVA’s candidate Lad got 1.22 lakh votes against Deshmukh’s 73, 321 votes. The constituency is made up of voters from Pune, Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara and Solapur districts
In a major setback to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the ruling Maharashtra Vikas Agadi (MVA) candidate Arun Lad has defeated BJP candidate Sangram Deshmukh in the Pune graduate constituency.
MVA’s candidate Lad got 1.22 lakh votes against Deshmukh’s 73, 321 votes.
The constituency is made up of voters from Pune, Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara and Solapur districts.
The constituency was earlier represented by union minister Prakash Javadekar and state BJP unit head Chandrakant Patil. Javadekar and Patil both represented this constituency twice.Except on two previous occasions, this constituency was with the BJP for the last several years.
Former Janata Dal Secular MLA Sharad Patil and MNS candidate Rupali Patil Thombre also contested this seat, which is traditionally dominated by the BJP. Earlier Janta Dal’s candidate Patil had defeated Javadekar from this constituency.
Even in Pune teachers’ constituency, MVA’s candidate Jayant Aasgavkar is leading.
The workers from Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Congress and Shiv Sena jointly celebrated the victory after the results were announced.
Lad said, “I worked for the last many years for the graduate constituency. I reached out to many voters during the campaign.”
NCP leader Sharad Pawar said, “The results show that the citizens are expressing confidence in the Maha Vikas Agadi. The climate is changing in the state.”
MVA’s victory is considered a big blow to the saffron party and has forced the party leaders to introspect. Former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Patil campaigned in the constituency.
BJP leaders off the record blamed the workers and said that they were overconfident and did not put in enough efforts.
Former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “We failed to estimate the power of the three parties unitedly.”
Who is Arun Lad?
Arun Lad runs a sugar factory as well as an educational institute and co-operative institutes in Kadegaon Palus area of Sangli district. His father GD Lad was an MLC and also known as a freedom fighter. Lad in the year 2013 contested the graduate constituency as an independent candidate and got sizeable votes.
