Express News Service
MUMBAI: BJP failed to retain Kasba Peth Assembly seat, its stronghold in Maharashtra, as Congress candidate Ravindra Dhangekar defeated the saffron party nominee Hemant Rasane by 11,200 votes in the bypoll.
The BJP was in power in the Kasba Peth constituency for 28 years. Girish Bapat, the current BJP MP from Pune, represented the seat five times till 2019.
Why did BJP lose?
The main takeaway from Kasba and Chinchwad by-election results remains if Maha Vikas Aghadi remains united, can they then give a formidable fight to BJP and pull the victory?
The Kasabha byelections is an example where Congress candidate Ravindra Dhanghekar despite all the odds bagged a major victory against the BJP’s Hemant Rasane by 11,200 votes. Dhangekar got 52.98% votes in this election. Congress won this seat after 30 years.
But if the MVA house is divided, then they are set to lose the elections — the Chinchwad by-election is another best example to understand these complexities.
ALSO READ | Congress inroads in BJP bastions in Maharashtra by-elections
In Chinchwad, BJP candidate Ashwini Jagtap won against NCP candidate by 32,845 votes while Shiv Sena rebel Rahul Kalate supported by Shiv Sena’s alliance partner Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi led by Prakash Ambedkar bagged the 40,507 votes.
So the difference is clear, if MVA succeeded in pacifying Shiv Sena (UBT) rebel Mr Kalate, then they would have won Chinchwad by-elections as well.
What went wrong?
In Kasba Peth by-elections, since the beginning of the campaign, BJP had lost the perception battle against the Congress candidate Ravindra Dhangekar.
BJP was seen as more overconfident and that resulted in it making major goof ups from choosing the right candidates to campaigning. The saffron party, this time fielded, a non-Brahmin candidate Hemant Rasane annoying a significant number of Brahmin voters.
Many posters portrayed that the Brahmin were unhappy with BJP. They claimed that the party first denied a ticket to Medha Kulkarni, a Brahmin in Kothrud to pave way for state BJP erstwhile president Chandrakant Patil.
But the party denied a ticket to the kin of the deceased sitting BJP MLA Mukta Tilak and the son of BJP Lok Sabha MP Girish Bapat. So, why should Brahmins vote for BJP?
Pulled the wrong religion card
BJP tried to give religious colour to Kasba Peth by-elections by criticizing NCP chief Sharad Pawar was allegedly appealing to Muslim voters from Dubai and middle-east countries to come and vote decisively against the BJP candidate, but this religious polarization campaign backfired.
In 2009, Dhangekar as MNS candidate lost against Girish Bapat because he could not get major votes (17 per cent) in Muslim-dominated areas while Girish Bapat bagged the majority of votes.
ALSO READ | Maharashtra bypolls: Congress wrests Kasba Peth Assembly seat from BJP
BJP put all its machinery and resources into Kasba Peth. A dozen of BJP-Shinde ministers camped in Kasba Peth plus in the last few days before the voting, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis tried to pull a scene, but Congress candidate Dhangekar was much further ahead than the BJP candidate. More outsider BJP leaders and their forceful tactics annoyed the local voters. They preferred to go with a mild and down-to-earth person like Dhangekar.
In Kasba, MVA choose its campaigners carefully, any controversial persons were not allowed to campaign. Besides, all former ministers of Congress helped Dhangekar to pull the resources and muster the victory.
Congress candidate Ravindra Dhangher got a decent and significant lead in all wards of Kasba Peth. He even got good votes in RSS-BJP-dominated upper caste voters’ localities as well.
Local BJP leaders have no say?
The absence of the collective leadership of the BJP cost them Kasba Peth by-elections. Maharashtra BJP’s power is concentrated in the hand of deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, giving local party leaders very little space of their own.
While, on the other hand, all leaders of MVAs were given the space that helped all communities to pull their help for Dhangekar.
The BJP was also caught on camera allegedly distributing money, these videos went viral on social media damaging the party’s image.
Maharashtra is too important to lose
BJP and Shinde will now have to change their strategy for Maharashtra as they cannot afford to lose Maharashtra which holds a total of 48 Lok Sabha members which is the highest after Uttar Pradesh.
They have to also think, about what should be done with the maligned image of Khoke-Sakar of the Shinde government. This toppling Uddhav Thackeray government has not gone well with the people and sentiments. BJP is not able to set a positive narrative since the formation of their govt with Eknath Shinde.
BJP formed the government in Maharashtra with Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena factions hoping to get Shiv Sainik and Marathi Manoos votes. But the Kasba Peth by-election result shows that Shinde is unable to help the BJP to pull the victory in high voltage and prestigious battle. Shinde has shortcomings that BJP will understand sooner or later.
MUMBAI: BJP failed to retain Kasba Peth Assembly seat, its stronghold in Maharashtra, as Congress candidate Ravindra Dhangekar defeated the saffron party nominee Hemant Rasane by 11,200 votes in the bypoll.
The BJP was in power in the Kasba Peth constituency for 28 years. Girish Bapat, the current BJP MP from Pune, represented the seat five times till 2019.
Why did BJP lose? googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); });
The main takeaway from Kasba and Chinchwad by-election results remains if Maha Vikas Aghadi remains united, can they then give a formidable fight to BJP and pull the victory?
The Kasabha byelections is an example where Congress candidate Ravindra Dhanghekar despite all the odds bagged a major victory against the BJP’s Hemant Rasane by 11,200 votes. Dhangekar got 52.98% votes in this election. Congress won this seat after 30 years.
But if the MVA house is divided, then they are set to lose the elections — the Chinchwad by-election is another best example to understand these complexities.
ALSO READ | Congress inroads in BJP bastions in Maharashtra by-elections
In Chinchwad, BJP candidate Ashwini Jagtap won against NCP candidate by 32,845 votes while Shiv Sena rebel Rahul Kalate supported by Shiv Sena’s alliance partner Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi led by Prakash Ambedkar bagged the 40,507 votes.
So the difference is clear, if MVA succeeded in pacifying Shiv Sena (UBT) rebel Mr Kalate, then they would have won Chinchwad by-elections as well.
What went wrong?
In Kasba Peth by-elections, since the beginning of the campaign, BJP had lost the perception battle against the Congress candidate Ravindra Dhangekar.
BJP was seen as more overconfident and that resulted in it making major goof ups from choosing the right candidates to campaigning. The saffron party, this time fielded, a non-Brahmin candidate Hemant Rasane annoying a significant number of Brahmin voters.
Many posters portrayed that the Brahmin were unhappy with BJP. They claimed that the party first denied a ticket to Medha Kulkarni, a Brahmin in Kothrud to pave way for state BJP erstwhile president Chandrakant Patil.
But the party denied a ticket to the kin of the deceased sitting BJP MLA Mukta Tilak and the son of BJP Lok Sabha MP Girish Bapat. So, why should Brahmins vote for BJP?
Pulled the wrong religion card
BJP tried to give religious colour to Kasba Peth by-elections by criticizing NCP chief Sharad Pawar was allegedly appealing to Muslim voters from Dubai and middle-east countries to come and vote decisively against the BJP candidate, but this religious polarization campaign backfired.
In 2009, Dhangekar as MNS candidate lost against Girish Bapat because he could not get major votes (17 per cent) in Muslim-dominated areas while Girish Bapat bagged the majority of votes.
ALSO READ | Maharashtra bypolls: Congress wrests Kasba Peth Assembly seat from BJP
BJP put all its machinery and resources into Kasba Peth. A dozen of BJP-Shinde ministers camped in Kasba Peth plus in the last few days before the voting, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis tried to pull a scene, but Congress candidate Dhangekar was much further ahead than the BJP candidate. More outsider BJP leaders and their forceful tactics annoyed the local voters. They preferred to go with a mild and down-to-earth person like Dhangekar.
In Kasba, MVA choose its campaigners carefully, any controversial persons were not allowed to campaign. Besides, all former ministers of Congress helped Dhangekar to pull the resources and muster the victory.
Congress candidate Ravindra Dhangher got a decent and significant lead in all wards of Kasba Peth. He even got good votes in RSS-BJP-dominated upper caste voters’ localities as well.
Local BJP leaders have no say?
The absence of the collective leadership of the BJP cost them Kasba Peth by-elections. Maharashtra BJP’s power is concentrated in the hand of deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, giving local party leaders very little space of their own.
While, on the other hand, all leaders of MVAs were given the space that helped all communities to pull their help for Dhangekar.
The BJP was also caught on camera allegedly distributing money, these videos went viral on social media damaging the party’s image.
Maharashtra is too important to lose
BJP and Shinde will now have to change their strategy for Maharashtra as they cannot afford to lose Maharashtra which holds a total of 48 Lok Sabha members which is the highest after Uttar Pradesh.
They have to also think, about what should be done with the maligned image of Khoke-Sakar of the Shinde government. This toppling Uddhav Thackeray government has not gone well with the people and sentiments. BJP is not able to set a positive narrative since the formation of their govt with Eknath Shinde.
BJP formed the government in Maharashtra with Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena factions hoping to get Shiv Sainik and Marathi Manoos votes. But the Kasba Peth by-election result shows that Shinde is unable to help the BJP to pull the victory in high voltage and prestigious battle. Shinde has shortcomings that BJP will understand sooner or later.
