October 17 is the last day for withdrawal of nominations for the Andheri (East) bypoll
October 17 is the last day for withdrawal of nominations for the Andheri (East) bypoll
The BJP has withdrawn its candidate for the crucial November 3 by-election to Andheri (East) Assembly seat in Mumbai, paving the way for Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena’s Rutuja Latke to be elected unopposed.
The party’s Maharashtra unit chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on October 17, 2022 said they have decided not to contest the bypoll and Murji Patel, who has filed the nomination from BJP, will now withdraw it.
October 17 is the last day for withdrawal of nominations for the Andheri (East) bypoll, which was necessitated due to the sudden death of Shiv Sena’s sitting legislator Ramesh Latke in Dubai in May this year.
It was seen as the first major election after Eknath Shinde toppled the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi, a collision of Shiv Sena, Congress, and Nationalist Congress Party, and became the Chief Minister.
“The BJP had previously also not contested some of the bypolls,” Mr. Bawankule said.
This announcement came a day after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief and Uddhav’s cousin Raj Thackeray, and NCP chief Sharad Pawar appealed the saffron party to drop its candidate and elect Ramesh Latke’s widow Rutuja Latke unopposed in the by-election as a mark of respect to the departed soul.
The BJP’s Maharashtra in-charge C.T. Ravi said that there has been a tradition in the State to let the kin of a deceased elected representative contesting a seat be elected unopposed.
“After other parties requested, we deliberated and made a decision accordingly,” he said.
However, leaders in Uddhav’s camp said the late decision of the saffron party would not recompense the mental harassment that Eknath Shinde-BJP government inflicted on Ms. Latke.
On Sunday, Maharashtra, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that he would have to discuss the matter with party leadership and Chief Minister Shinde before taking a call. Even, Shinde camp MLA Pratap Sarnaik urged wrote to Chief Minister requesting to speak with BJP for an unopposed election of Ms. Latke.
