BJP, MVA lock horns for Maharashtra Assembly by-polls, Sena creates stir within MVA expressing its intent to contest Chinchwad seat

Thackeray led UBTS faction leader Sanjay Raut says BJP has not adhered to ‘political tradition’; BJP says it is confident of winning both seats.

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Mumbai: Even as the ruling the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is yet to finalise its candidates for the February 26 by-polls for the Kasba Peth and Chinchwad assembly seats, its arch rival from the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the Shiv Sena faction led by former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray (UBTS) has stirred the hornets’ nest by declaring its intent to contest the Chinchwad seat.

The Sena (UBTS) demand regarding the Chinchwad seat may cause friction between the three MVA allies, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress, given that Chinchwad has been known as a former bastion of NCPs Ajit Pawar. 

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday revised the poll date for the by-polls which was initially slated for February 27 to February 26 after the Pune district election officer informed authorities about a clash of the by-poll dates with that of the Class 12 and Graduate degree examinations. 

The Chinchwad and Kasba Peth by-elections (both in Pune district) have been necessitated after the recent deaths of sitting BJP MLAs – Laxman Jagtap (Chinchwad) and Mukta Tilak (Kasba Peth) – in less than a fortnight.  

Late Laxman Jagtap was an influential three-time MLA from Chinchwad, whereas Mukta Tilak was the scion of ‘Lokmanya’ Bal Gangadhar Tilak’s family and was the former Mayor of Pune city. 

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde who has allied with the ruling BJP appealed to all parties to let the candidates (that are to be fielded by the BJP) in both seats be elected unopposed in keeping with the political custom in Maharashtra.  

However, UBTS leader Sanjay Raut lashed out at both Shinde and the BJP stating that while there is indeed a political tradition in Maharashtra of letting the kin of a deceased lawmaker be elected unopposed, this tradition has not always been followed by the BJP in the past.  

The UBTS leader further remarked, “This tradition was nowhere in evidence during the Nanded and Pandharpur Assembly by-polls (held in 2021) when the BJP had fielded their candidates despite the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) nominating kin of the deceased MLAs.” 

Raut added that while the BJP had ultimately withdrawn their candidate from the fray of the Andheri East assembly by-poll held on November 6 last year, they had done so only after they realized they were not going to win it. 

The Andheri by-poll in November 2022 was necessitated after the death of sitting Sena MLA Ramesh Latke in May 2022. The by-poll had witnessed a high-voltage build-up with the ruling BJP first announcing their candidate Murji Patel against Rutuja Latke, only to later withdraw him from the poll fray as a gesture of ‘magnanimity’. 

Sanjay Raut further said that while the MVA coalition was intent on contesting both by-elections, the Sena (UBT) was keen on contesting the Chinchwad seat.  

The UBTS leader added, “Even the constituents of Chinchwad Assembly segment feel that way (that the Thackeray Sena ought to contest). Yesterday we had a meeting with NCP leaders Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil at ‘Matoshri’ (Thackeray residence). During the meeting, we conveyed our interest to the NCP leaders.” 

In fact, until his defection to the BJP in 2014, late Laxman Jagtap had been an NCP man and a close aide of Ajit Pawar. His defection saw an exodus of local NCP leaders to the BJP, which ultimately led the BJP, for the first time, to wrest the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation from the NCP’s hands in the 2017 Maharashtra civic polls besides the Chinchwad Assembly seat in the 2019 Assembly election. 

Now, with Ajit Pawar eager to regain the Chinchwad seat and re-establish the NCP’s influence in that area, Sanjay Raut’s statement could well spark fresh tension within the MVA.    

Meanwhile, BJP Minister and Kothrud MLA Chandrakant Patil dismissed Sanjay Raut’s statements about his party not adhering to ‘political tradition’ in the State. 

“He (Sanjay Raut) seems to have forgotten that the BJP withdrew its candidate after the demise of Congress’ Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Satav (who passed away in 2021 from post-Covid-19 complications). This, despite the Congress not fielding Satav’s kin, but nominating Rajani Patil. Yet, the BJP did not field a candidate,” Patil pointed out. 

Patil further said that while he hoped that both elections would be held unopposed, the BJP was fully prepared for a fight and was confident of winning both seats. He added that the BJP would approach all parties (including the opposition MVA) to help their candidates win unopposed. 

However, the BJP is undecided on whether to field kin of the deceased MLAs, who are considered to be political novices, or to pick experienced hands among a pool of eager aspirants.