Shiv Sena nominee wins seat in Mumbai.
The ruling Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) alliance has bagged four seats in the elections to the Maharashtra Legislative Council from Mumbai, Dhule, Nagpur and Sholapur local self-government bodies. In Mumbai, one seat has been won by Shiv Sena nominee and former Leader of Opposition, Ramdas Kadam, who had lost badly in the Assembly elections held in October.
However, NCP rebel Arun Jagtap defeated Congress nominee Jayant Sasane from the Ahmednagar constituency. The NCP, which had extended its support secretly to Arun Jagtap, has embarrassed the Congress and its veteran leader Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil.
As expected, the Shiv Sena retained the Akola Washim Buldhana constituency as its nominee Gopikishan Bajoria defeated the Congress-NCP nominee Radheshyam Chandak. Congress candidate Amrish Patel was declared elected unopposed from the Dhule constituency, while another Congress nominee Rajendra Mulak wrested the Nagpur seat from BJP candidate Ashok Mankar, a close confidant of the newly appointed BJP national president Nitin Gadkari.
In Sholapur, NCP nominee Deepak Salunke won defeating Congress rebel Kalyan Kale. In Kolhapur, Congress candidate Mahadev Mahadik won for the third straight time by defeating Jansurajya Party nominee Jayant Patil.
In Mumbai, Congress nominee and former legislator Bhai Jagtap, who had lost to the Shiv Sena nominee Ravindra Waikar in the Jogeshwari Assembly seat in October, won by a comfortable margin.
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However, the BJP, which had nominated Madhu Chavan against Kadam and Jagtap, faced Chavan’s defeat.
Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam attacked the BJP for not abiding by the “coalition dharma” in the council elections. He alleged that BJP was responsible for his defeat in the Assembly elections I October.
Sena spokesperson Neelam Gore said: “BJP fielded Chavan despite the fact that it had only 29 votes, far less than what was needed for victory. Those talking about the coalition dharma should also remember that it is about taking alliance partner into confidence while fielding candidates.
On the other hand, the BJP hit back against the Sena, saying that the party did not take cognizance of Kadam’s criticism.