Lok Sabha bypolls: Polling in Palghar, Gondia-Bhandara today

The elections to two Lok Sabha bypolls – in Palghar and Bhandara-Gondia — will take place on Monday.

The election for the Palghar seat is poised for a multi-cornered contest between Rajendra Gavit (BJP), Baliram Jadhav (Bhaujan Vikas Aghadi), Shriniwas Wanaga (Shiv Sena) and Damodar Singhda (Congress). The election was necessitated following the death of sitting BJP (MP) Chintaman Wanaga in January 2018.

The BJP and Sena have made the election a prestige issue. Sena has fielded Shriniwas Wanaga, son of late Chintaman Wanaga. Whereas, BJP has fielded former Congress minister Rajendra Gavit. He joined the BJP recently. In Bhandara-Gondia, the bypolls will be a direct fight between the BJP and Nationalist Congress Party. The BJP has fielded Hemant Patle and NCP has fielded Madhukarrao Kukde.

The Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha bypolls were necessitated following the resignation of sitting BJP (MP) Nana Patole. It is interesting to note that Patole had resigned from the BJP after making a scathing attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his style of functioning. Patole left the BJP to join the Congress.

In Bhandara-Gondia, the NCP has elicited the support of the Congress to take on the BJP in the elections. As per the election commission’s norms, a government holiday has been declared in the districts where polling will take place.