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In a major embarrassment for the ruling NCP in general and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in particular, Opposition BJP’s nominee Bhimrao Tapkir on Monday romped home in the Khadakwasla Assembly bypoll, by trouncing NCP candidate Harshada Wanjale.
In a development that came as a big boost for the BJP-Shiv Sena-RPI(A) alliance in the run-up to municipal corporation polls in Maharashtra, Tapkir defeated Harshada, widow of MNS MLA Ramesh Wanjale, by a margin of 3,625 votes.
In the bypoll necessitated by Ramesh Wanjale’s sudden death in June this year, Tapkir polled 59,634 votes.
In the normal course, the MNS was planning to put up Harshada as its candidate for the Khadakwasla bypoll in place of her late husband. However, in the run to the bypoll, the ruling NCP succeeded in wooing Harshada to its fold. Staging a tactical retreat, the Raj Thackeray-led MNS decided not to put any candidate in the bypoll.
Given the sympathy generated by her husband’s untimely death, pollsters had predicted that Harshada would have a smooth sailing in the bypoll.
Positive poll predictions notwithstanding, the ruling NCP and in particular Ajit Pawar — whose writ runs in Pune district — had thrown all their resources into Harshada’s campaign.
For the NCP, winning the Khadakwasla seat had become a prestige issue, considering that it forms a part of Baramati, which is represented by Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule. No wonder that Ajit Pawar, Supriya and State RR Patil were among the senior NCP leaders who had campaigned for Harshada.
In a development that came as a big boost for the BJP-Shiv Sena-RPI(A) alliance in the run-up to municipal corporation polls in Maharashtra, Tapkir defeated Harshada, widow of MNS MLA Ramesh Wanjale, by a margin of 3,625 votes.
In the bypoll necessitated by Ramesh Wanjale’s sudden death in June this year, Tapkir polled 59,634 votes.
In the normal course, the MNS was planning to put up Harshada as its candidate for the Khadakwasla bypoll in place of her late husband. However, in the run to the bypoll, the ruling NCP succeeded in wooing Harshada to its fold. Staging a tactical retreat, the Raj Thackeray-led MNS decided not to put any candidate in the bypoll.
Given the sympathy generated by her husband’s untimely death, pollsters had predicted that Harshada would have a smooth sailing in the bypoll.
Positive poll predictions notwithstanding, the ruling NCP and in particular Ajit Pawar — whose writ runs in Pune district — had thrown all their resources into Harshada’s campaign.
For the NCP, winning the Khadakwasla seat had become a prestige issue, considering that it forms a part of Baramati, which is represented by Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule. No wonder that Ajit Pawar, Supriya and State RR Patil were among the senior NCP leaders who had campaigned for Harshada.
