BJP wins Prabhag 35(A) bypoll

Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation byelection result for ward number 35-A is yet another jolt to the Congress. The bypoll to Prabhag 35(A) was necessitated following the death of newly elected BJP corporator Nilesh Kumbhare on April 10 this year.

Barely a few days after a good show in the gram panchayat polls in many towns across the state, the Congress failed to increase its tally in the NMC House where its candidate Pankaj Thorat (5,248 votes) was edged out by BJP's Sandip Gavai (5,711 votes).

"Gavai won the seat by 463 votes," announced election officer Shirish Pande on Thursday.

After completion of counting of votes in eight rounds, Pande said the total number of votes polled were 14,034 votes. BSP candidate Nanda Zodpe got 1,675 votes, RPI's Vandana Jiwane 423, independent candidates Manoj Pundalik Ingle 14, Gautam Kamble 668, Shashikant Narnaware 130 and Sunil Kawade got 15 votes. Pande said 147 voters opted for NOTA.

Though eight candidates contested the bypoll, the main fight was between the BJP and Congress. Given the resentment among voters over price rise and hike in fuel prices, the BJP did not take the bypoll lightly. The party convened over 100 public meetings in the prabhag, which were addressed by district guardian minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, mayor Nanda Jichkar, former mayor Pravin Datke, ruling party leader Sandip Joshi, Dayashankar Tiwari etc to retain the seat.

The indifference in the Congress too was visible in this bypoll. Its two leaders — former MP Vilas Muttemwar and city president Vikas Thakre — spared only one day for canvasing, whereas leader of opposition in the NMC Tanaji Wanve did not even go to the voters for Thorat.

Political experts pointed out that had the Congress managed to convince its rebel party worker Gautam Kamble to withdraw from the race, Thorat had a chance of victory.

In the last election, Thorat, who was Congress candidate, had bagged 9,307 votes. But he was on the losing side as BJP's Nilesh Kumbhare had won the seat with handsome margin.

Gavai said that he would continue the development works in his new constituency. He, however, blamed the poor percentage of voting as the election was conducted on a working day. "Scattered booths were also a major factor for low voting percentage," he claimed.

Soon after the result was declared, Thorat demanded recounting of votes. The EO, however, refused his plea and said the result declared by him is final. To this, Thorat claimed that he would approach the State Election Commission and if necessary, move the court. Even Youth Congress activists led by wing's city president and corporator Bunty Shelke demonstrated outside the counting venue in Sitabuldi area.

Tally same for parties in 156-member House

With today's results, the overall tally of the BJP has reached 108 excluding four co-opted members, while the Congress has 30 corporators including one co-opted member. BSP has 10 corporators, Nationalist Congress Party 1, Shiv Sena 2 and independent 1.

Gavai's career revived!

Winning of bypoll has revived the political career of Sandip Gavai. He had won the NMC election in 2007, but in 2012 he was defeated by NCP's Prakash Gajbhiye.

Gavai, a builder by profession, had also contested MLC's election from Bhandara-Gondia as well as MLA's election from Umred but lost both. Defeat in three elections had actually halted his political career. Gavai, not a resident of ward 35-A, is considered close to Union minister Nitin Gadkari and had compelled the party to give him ticket, while rejecting the plea of deceased Kumbhare's brother Ashish who too had shown interest in contesting the byelection.