Rajesh Warlekar
The Congress-Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) candidate Ravindra Dhangekar won the Kasbapeth Assembly bypolls with a margin of over 11,000 votes on Thursday. He defeated his nearest rival, the BJP’s Hemant Rasane.
Dhangekar’s victory is considered a political setback for the BJP, as the Congress stormed and bagged its bastion, Kasbapeth. In a surprising turn of events, Congress party candidate Ravindra Dhangekar has won the election in Pune by a margin of 11,040 votes, defeating BJP candidate Hemant Rasane. The election was hotly contested, with both parties vying for the seat.
The BJP had made the election a prestige issue and had deployed all its senior leaders to campaign extensively in the area. However, despite their efforts, the party was unable to secure a victory. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had campaigned for Rasane.
This is the first time since 1995 that the BJP has lost an election in Kasba Peth constituency, and the result has come as a shock to many. The Congress party and its supporters, on the other hand, are celebrating the win, hailing it as a sign of the changing political landscape in the region.
The election saw a 50% voter turnout, with people from all sections of society coming out to cast their vote. The election was held in a peaceful manner, with no reports of any untoward incidents. Dhangekar got 73,194 votes while Rasane got 62,244 votes.
Ravindra Dhangekar, the newly elected Congress party candidate, has expressed his gratitude to the people of Pune for their support. He has also promised to work towards the development of the region and to address the concerns of the people.
The BJP, on the other hand, has expressed disappointment over the loss but has vowed to continue to work towards the betterment of the region. The party has also congratulated Ravindra Dhangekar on his victory.
The election result has been a topic of discussion among political analysts, who are predicting that it could have wider implications for the region and the state as a whole. It remains to be seen how this result will impact the political landscape in Pune and beyond.
In Chinchwad, BJP nominee Ashwini L. Jagtap continued to lead with a considerable margin over the Nationalist Congress Party-MVA rival Vithal ‘Nana’ Kate, and Shiv Sena (UBT) rebel Rahul Kalate, contesting as an Independent.
At 12 noon, Jagtap had secured 53,000 votes over Kate’s 43,700 votes and Kalate’s 16,900 votes, at the end of the 15th round of counting, with the final results likely by late afternoon.
The two hotly contested bypolls were necessitated on account of the death of the sitting BJP MLAs — Mukta J. Tilak (Kasbapeth) and Laxman P. Jagtap (Chinchwad).
000
About The Author
.jpeg)
