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BJP wins Khadakwasla constituency by-election

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BS Reporter Mumbai
Last Updated : Jan 21 2013 | 12:40 AM IST

Poll necessitated following death of Ramesh Wanjale who got elected in 2009.

The ruling Nationalist Congress Party-Congress alliance on Monday received a major setback at its nominee was defeated by the BJP-Shiv Sena combine candidate in the by-election to the Khadakwasla constituency in Pune district.

More importantly, it was a body blow to NCP leader and state deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar who had made the elections a prestige issue for the party.

Bhimrao Tapkir, who belongs to the BJP, trounced the Congress-NCP nominee Harshada Wanjale by a margin of 3,635 votes. The polling took place on October 13.

The by election was necessitated following the death of Ramesh Wanjale who had got elected in 2009 assembly elections as the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) candidate. Incidentally, MNS did not put up a candidate as a tribute to Wanjale's memory. His widow contested on NCP ticket but could not capture popular imagination.

Harshada Wanjale, who was the Congress member of the Pune zilla parishad, was brought into the NCP by Ajit Pawar despite reservations from several party leaders.

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Infact, it gave an opportunity for the opposition to give a united fight against Ajit Pawar in particular.

Further, recent police firing on villagers at Maval also came quite handy for opposition to campaign against Ajit Pawar and the state government in general.

Supriya Sule, NCP MP from Baramati parliamentary constituency said that she accepts the defeat of the party candidate. She noted that Congress worked quite hard for the victory of NCP candidate but the latter could not make it. Sule however, made it clear that on Monday's defeat would not have any adverse impact on the ensuing civic elections.

NCP state unit president Madhukar Pichad told reporters that the party would self introspect. "All opposition had united in Khadakwasla. Our efforts fail short of reaching out to voters. But on Monday's defeat will not have any impact on the ruling Congress-NCP alliance in the state."

Hailing Tapkir's victory, BJP leader Eknath Khadse said it was "not surprising but on expected lines" in view of the Congress-NCP's "misrule" in the state. MNS chief Raj Thackeray said it was the defeat of money power.

Meanwhile, state chief minister Prithviraj Chavan held meeting with the Congress ministers to discuss the outcome of on Monday's by election and also discuss increasing demand within the party to go solo in the ensuing elections to the civic body and local self government.

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First Published: Oct 18 2011 | 12:13 AM IST

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