Pune bypoll: Chinchwad takes away Ajit Pawar’s joy, Kasba deals setback to Chandrakant Patil

The Congress gained big in the bypolls at Kasba Peth, a win which came days after success in Graduate and Teachers constituencies of Nagpur and Amravati. The joy over the victory of its candidate Ravindra Dhangekar, however, was overshadowed by the NCP’s defeat in Chinchwad.

Losing Chinchwad legislative constituency in bypoll came as a major setback for the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar’s aspiration to regain NCP’s old baston before civic polls.

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) candidate Ashwini Jagtap defeated NCP’s candidate Nana Kate in Chinchwad assembly bypolls by margin o 36,168 votes . In Kasba Peth, Congress nominee Ravindra Dhangekar won by margin of around 10915 votes, offering blow to senior BJP leadership in Pune and the state.

In Chinchwad and Pimpri, Ajit Pawar has been very active since 1991. In 2002 NCP won the Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal election and came to power for the first time after the formation of NCP in 1999. Since then, NCP along with Congress retained power for almost 15 years in PCMC.

After the emergence of BJP leader Narendra Modi in 2017, the BJP had demolished NCP’s baston and won municipal corporation polls. In 2019, Ajit Pawar’s son Parth Pawar broke family records of never facing defeat and was defeated by Shiv Sena’s candidate Shrirang Barane from Maval Lok Sabha constituency.

Since then, Ajit Pawar was trying to recapture his old baston from BJP.

“It’s a mixed feeling for me. While we won in Kasba Peth, but loss in Chinchwad overshadowed the joy,” said Pawar.

Ajit Pawar, in order to boost confidence of the party workers, spent majority of the time in Chinchwad assembly during bypoll. NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, despite ailing health camped in Pimpri-Chinchwad and interacted with party workers and corporators. Pawar ordered to keep away party differences to face bypoll.

Even after that, NCP’s candidate was defeated. Maha Vikas Aghadi’s rebel candidate Rahul Kalate also secured a good number of votes.

For NCP, Kalate turned out to be a spoiler with Ajit Pawar also admitting it. “When we see collective votes of Kate and Kalate, it offers a clear picture. In the upcoming municipal corporation election, we will ensure that votes do not get divided,” he said.

Other NCP leaders also claimed that Ashwini Jagtap had a sympathy factor in her favour after the demise of her husband Laxman Jagtap two months ago.

Whatever the reasons behind the victory of Jagtap, these bypoll results are likely to set the tone for upcoming civic elections in Pimpri-Chinchwad. Now, party chief Sharad Pawar, Ajit and Parth Pawar have to put in their best efforts to motivate, encourage the party workers and corporators after getting set back in Chinchwad assembly bypoll in order to regain power in Pimpri-Chinchwad.

Another positive take home from this election is that, if all MVA members including NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress stuck together and if they take ground efforts then MVA can win against BJP-Shiv Sena alliance.

Setback for Chandrakant Patil

The result in Kasba Peth is seen as a setback for district guardian minister Chandrakant Patil, who was instrumental in selection of candidate at Kasba Peth. Patil campaigned hard for Hemant Rasane, while questioning the stature of Dhangekar in politics.

After Congress fielded Dhangekar, Patil had asked “Who is Dhangekar?”. The comments were lapped up by Congress candidate in favour of his campaign by projecting himself as “common man”. As a Guardian minister, Patil had taken the whole responsibility of Kasba bypolls and BJP top braces had given him a free hand. Earlier, in North Kolhapur assembly bypolls last year, overconfident Patil had said in a public rally that if BJP’s candidate is defeated then he will give up politics and proceed to Himalayas. He then had to eat his own words.