The consensus that is emerging within the three-party combine is to contest the election in the backdrop of the growing bitterness between its constituent parties – the Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena – and the BJP-Shinde group. (Representational image) While the BJP and the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena are hoping for an unopposed election in by-polls to the Kasba and Chinchwad Assembly seats to be held on February 27, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition seems to be of the view that a contest is vital to prove its strength. The seats had fallen vacant after the deaths of sitting BJP MLAs Mukta Tilak (Kasba Peth) and Laxman Jagtap (Chinchwad).
The MVA is likely to decide in two days whether to stay away from the fray or field a candidate in case the BJP nominates family members of the deceased MLAs for the bypolls. The consensus that is emerging within the three-party combine is to contest the election in the backdrop of the growing bitterness between its constituent parties – the Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena – and the BJP-Shinde group.
Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Gopal Tiwari said Sunday, “Our state chief Nana Patole will be in Pune on Monday. During his stay here, we expect a decision on the Kasba and Chinchwad bypolls.”
NCP sources said there is another meeting of top MVA leaders scheduled in Mumbai in the next two days to decide on the bypolls. On Sunday, NCP leader Ajit Pawar, who is the state Opposition leader, said he had doubts about whether the bypolls in Chinchwad and Kasba Peth would be held unopposed. “Our colleagues in the MVA feel that we should contest both seats. Therefore, I doubt whether the election will be held unopposed,” he said in Pune.
State NCP spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said, “There are several claimants for the Chinchwad seat from the NCP side. Many of them met our party chief on Sunday and pressed for contesting the bypoll. A meeting of our top leaders is scheduled for Tuesday. A decision is likely to be taken in this regard at the meeting.”
The BJP and Shinde group are pushing for an unopposed election. This means they are likely to field a family member of the deceased MLAs in both seats. While Shailesh Tilak, the husband of late MLA Mukta Tilak, is likely to be in the fray in Kasba, deceased MLA Laxman Jagtap’s brother Shankar and his wife Ashwini Jagtap are in the race for the BJP ticket in Chinchwad.
From the MVA, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will contest the Chinchwad seat, while the Congress appears to have staked claim to the Kasba seat.
Nana Kate, Bhausaheb Bhoir and Moreshwar Bhondve of the NCP are gearing up to contest in Chinchwad. For the Kasba seat, the Congress has two key claimants in Congress city president Arvind Shinde and Ravindra Dhangekar. Gopal Tiwari and Kamal Vyavahare of the Congress are also eyeing the seat.
The results of the bypolls will be out on March 2, the Election Commission had announced earlier.