Uddhav faction exudes confidence in winning crucial BMC poll as well
@the_news_21
Mumbai: In what was a foregone conclusion, Rutuja Latke, official candidate of the Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (SHSUBT) and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, coasted to an expected victory in the Andheri East Assembly by-poll. She polled 66,530 votes, defeating her nearest rival NOTA which had 12,806 votes, by a margin of 53,724 votes.
The by-poll, necessitated after the death of sitting Shiv Sena MLA Ramesh Latke in May this year, had witnessed a high-voltage build-up with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) first announcing their candidate Murji Patel against Rutuja Latke, only to later withdraw him from the poll fray as a gesture of ‘magnanimity’.
Rutuja Latke polled 66,530 votes, the second-highest votes – a whopping 12,806 votes – were registered under the ‘none of the above’ (NOTA) category, causing the Uddhav faction to accuse the BJP of a double-faced campaign against Rutuja Latke wherein they withdrew their candidate on one hand while actively influencing voters to select the NOTA option in a bid to undercut the MVA nominee.
Reacting to the by-poll results, SHSUBT chief Uddhav Thackeray said “there was no secret” behind the high votes polled under the NOTA category, quipping that had the BJP contested, they would have garnered the same number of votes.
The SHSUBT leader remarked, “This was the first election after the ‘betrayal’ (Eknath Shinde faction) and following the Election Commission of India (ECI) freezing of the Shiv Sena’s party name and its ‘bow and arrow’ symbol…After the results, I am not worried about future electoral fights.”
In her reaction, a sombre looking Rutuja Latke said the victory belonged to the memory of her late husband. “The voters have returned the goodwill…I am thankful to all the MVA constituents (NCP and Congress) and the workers who have strived tirelessly for my win,” she said.
Uddhav faction loyalist and former minister Anil Parab, who was in-charge of the poll campaigning, expressed confidence that the Thackeray faction party would win the crucial Mumbai civic body (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation – BMC) polls as well.
The former SHSUBT minister remarked, “The Andheri election has proved what the MVA can do when it contests together,” Anil Parab said. Accusing the BJP of “bad faith,” Parab alleged that the latter had actively campaigned against Rutuja Latke by “bribing voters” to press on the ‘NOTA’ alternative despite having withdrawn their candidate from the fray.
Parab further remarked, “These (NOTA) votes have been obtained by illicit means as no party can influence voters to select options… We had complained to the police of the BJP’s activities. However, neither they nor the Election Commission took any action. The results only prove that the people of Mumbai are firmly behind Uddhav Thackeray.”
Responding to the accusations from the Thackeray camp, the BJP hit back with its Mumbai city president Ashish Shelar remarking that Rutuja Latke’s easy win was only possible because of the BJP’s ‘help’.
Shelar in a tweet remarked, “Had the BJP fielded its candidate and contrasted the poll, then Rutuja Latke’s defeat was certain.” He added that the voting had been low despite the combined strength of the Congress, the NCP and the Left parties.
Lashing out at the Thackeray faction, BJP MLA Ram Kadam remarked, “Our party had shown great magnanimity in withdrawing our candidate. Yet, they (Uddhav Thackeray faction) keep whining. Your (Uddhav Thackeray’s) MLAs are deserting you and you pin the blame on NOTA? Your own brother (Jaidev Thackeray, who supports the Shinde faction) has left you and you expect voters to remain with you? It is time to accept some responsibility.”
It may be recalled that before the last day of withdrawing nominations, a number of parties and leaders including Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and NCP chief Sharad Pawar had urged the BJP to withdraw its candidate from the contest and Rutuja Latke to be elected unopposed as it was “in keeping with Maharashtra’s political culture.”
