Tag: Maharashtra bypolls

  • Maha CM Shinde requests Sharad Pawar not to contest Chinchwad, Kasba Peth bypolls

    By Express News Service

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde dialled NCP chief Sharad Pawar and other Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders requesting them not to field candidates in the state bypolls in Chinchwad and Kasaba Peth.

    Chinchwad and Kasba Peth assembly bypolls were necessitated after the demise of incumbent BJP MLA Laxman Jagtap and Mukta Tilak respectively. The BJP has announced its candidate for both seats. Ashwini Jagtap, widow of Laxman Jagtap, will contest from Chinchwad, while Hemant Rasane will contest from Kasaba Peth.

    Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde said that it is the culture of Maharashtra not to field candidates if byelections are necessitated after the demise of a sitting MLA.

    “We always support the deceased family members to get elected. We expect the same in both constituencies. Therefore, I called NCP chief Sharad Pawar and other Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders urging them to respect state culture and pave the way for BMC candidates,” Shinde said.

    Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), an alliance of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress, has so far not declared its candidates for the byelections.

    However, Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) leader, said that while it is true that the ruling party has requested their support, it was already decided in an MVA meeting to contest both byelections. He also said the ruling party should not teach them about morality.

    “In Andheri East elections, how the BJP and the ruling party (Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde) troubled deceased Shiv Sena MLA Ramesh Latke’s widow Rutuja Latke. The BJP tried to block her candidature by all means but they failed. They were forced to withdraw their candidate at the eleventh hours after seeing their defeat,” Raut said.

    In the MVA meeting, it was also decided that the Kasaba Peth seat will be contested by the Congress while NCP will contest the Chinchwad seat.

    Sources said that Ravindra Dhangekar would be announced as the candidate from Congress for the Kasaba Peth seat. “The Brahmins of Kasba Peth are not happy with the BJP for announcing Hemant Rasane’s candidature. We were expecting someone either from the Mukta Tilak family or any Brahmin face but the BJP announced a non-Brahmin person (Hemant Rasane),” a senior BJP leader from Pune said.

    Kasaba Peth is the Brahamin voters’ traditional constituency of the BJP, the leader said. “Earlier, Girish Bapat and then Mukta Tilak was elected. The BJP is not giving justice to our community. We are taken for granted. Earlier, Medha Kulkarni was denied a ticket to accommodate Chandrakant Patil in Kothrud, now Rasane in place of Ms Tilak. This is not a good sign, the party may face the community’s wrath in the byelections,” he added.

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde dialled NCP chief Sharad Pawar and other Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders requesting them not to field candidates in the state bypolls in Chinchwad and Kasaba Peth.

    Chinchwad and Kasba Peth assembly bypolls were necessitated after the demise of incumbent BJP MLA Laxman Jagtap and Mukta Tilak respectively. The BJP has announced its candidate for both seats. Ashwini Jagtap, widow of Laxman Jagtap, will contest from Chinchwad, while Hemant Rasane will contest from Kasaba Peth.

    Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde said that it is the culture of Maharashtra not to field candidates if byelections are necessitated after the demise of a sitting MLA.

    “We always support the deceased family members to get elected. We expect the same in both constituencies. Therefore, I called NCP chief Sharad Pawar and other Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders urging them to respect state culture and pave the way for BMC candidates,” Shinde said.

    Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), an alliance of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress, has so far not declared its candidates for the byelections.

    However, Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) leader, said that while it is true that the ruling party has requested their support, it was already decided in an MVA meeting to contest both byelections. He also said the ruling party should not teach them about morality.

    “In Andheri East elections, how the BJP and the ruling party (Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde) troubled deceased Shiv Sena MLA Ramesh Latke’s widow Rutuja Latke. The BJP tried to block her candidature by all means but they failed. They were forced to withdraw their candidate at the eleventh hours after seeing their defeat,” Raut said.

    In the MVA meeting, it was also decided that the Kasaba Peth seat will be contested by the Congress while NCP will contest the Chinchwad seat.

    Sources said that Ravindra Dhangekar would be announced as the candidate from Congress for the Kasaba Peth seat. “The Brahmins of Kasba Peth are not happy with the BJP for announcing Hemant Rasane’s candidature. We were expecting someone either from the Mukta Tilak family or any Brahmin face but the BJP announced a non-Brahmin person (Hemant Rasane),” a senior BJP leader from Pune said.

    Kasaba Peth is the Brahamin voters’ traditional constituency of the BJP, the leader said. “Earlier, Girish Bapat and then Mukta Tilak was elected. The BJP is not giving justice to our community. We are taken for granted. Earlier, Medha Kulkarni was denied a ticket to accommodate Chandrakant Patil in Kothrud, now Rasane in place of Ms Tilak. This is not a good sign, the party may face the community’s wrath in the byelections,” he added.

  • Bypolls in Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Maharashtra announced

    By IANS

    NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Saturday announced that by-elections in the states of West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Maharashtra will be held on April 12.

    “The Commission has decided to hold the by-election to fill vacancies in the states of West Bengal – Asansol (Parliamentary Constituency) and Ballygunge, Chhattisgarh – Khairagarh, Bihar – Bochahan (SC) and Maharashtra – Kolhapur North,” the Election Commission said.

    According to the EC, the date of issuing gazette notification is March 17 and the last date of nominations is March 24. The last date of scrutiny of nomination is March 25 and the candidature can be withdrawn till March 28.

    The date of polling will be April 12 and the votes will be counted on April 16, Saturday.

    “The Model Code of Conduct shall come into force with immediate effect in the district(s) in which the whole or any part of the Assembly constituency going for election is included,” the EC said.

    The Commission said it has decided to use EVMs and VVPATs in the by-elections in all the polling stations. Adequate numbers of EVMs and VVPATs have been made available and all steps have been taken to ensure that the polls are conducted smoothly with the help of these machines.

    Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) shall be the main document of identification of a voter. However, Aadhaar Card, MNREGA Job Card, Passbooks with photograph issued by Bank/Post Office, Health Insurance Smart Card issued under the scheme of Ministry of Labour, Driving License, PAN Card, Smart Card issued by RGI under NPR, Indian Passport, Pension document with photograph, Service Identity Cards with photograph issued to employees by Central/State Govt/PSUs/Public Limited Companies, Official identity cards issued to MPs/MLAs/MLCs and Unique Disability ID (UDID) Card, can also be shown at the polling station.

  • Maharashtra bypolls: Congress leads in Deglur; Shiv Sena ahead in Dadra and Nagar Haveli

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Congress candidate Jitesh Raosaheb Antapurkar was leading over BJP’s Subhash Pirajirao Sabne by 1624 votes after the first round of counting of votes in Maharashtra’s Deglur (SC) Assembly bypoll, an official said on Tuesday.

    Counting for the bypoll, necessitated by the death of Congress MLA Raosaheb Antapurkar due to coronavirus, began at 8 am.

    The constituency is in Nanded district, from where state public works department minister Ashok Chavan hails.

    The BJP fielded Sabne, a former Shiv Sena MLA.

    The bypoll witnessed 63.9 per cent polling, compared to 60.9 per cent recorded in 2019.

    Shiv Sena candidate Kalaben Delkar, the wife of former MP Mohan Delkar who had allegedly committed suicide, took a lead of over 4,000 votes in the first one hour of counting of votes for by-election to the Dadra and Nagar Haveli Lok Sabha seat.

    The counting of votes commenced here at 8.30 am on Tuesday.

    After the completion of three rounds, Kalaben Delkar was leading by over 4,800 votes. She has so far received 12,268 votes, her close rival, BJP candidate Mahesh Gavit, garnered 7,418 votes, while Congress’ Mahesh Dhodi received 447 votes, an Election Commission official said.

    Voting for the seat, which is part of the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, took place on October 30.

    The by-election was necessitated due to the death of sitting MP Mohan Delkar, an independent.

    Mohan Delkar, who had won the 2019 election by defeating the then sitting BJP MP Natubhai Patel by a thin margin of 9,001 votes, allegedly hanged himself at a Mumbai hotel on February 22, 2021.

    He had been a member of both the Congress and the BJP at different times of his political career.

    He was elected seven times to the Lok Sabha from Dadra and Nagar Haveli. In 2019, he won the seat as an independent.