WHILE THE Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) has extended support to independent candidate Rahul Kalate in the Chinchwad Assembly by-poll, it has further complicated matters for NCP candidate Nana Kate, who was already facing the possibility of a split in votes for Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). However, the NCP, one of the main constituents of the MVA, on Friday downplayed the move.
Pimpri-Chinchwad NCP unit chief Ajit Gavanahe said, “While VBA has supported the independent candidate, there are RPI factions which are supporting our candidate and making their presence felt during the campaign. Several RPI leaders from different factions are either campaigning or they will be part of the campaign in the coming days. We don’t want to comment on whether the VBA supporting Kalate will make a difference to us. We are looking at the support coming from other RPI leaders and activists.”
“Our leaders at the local and state level made efforts to rope in the VBA. I had myself written a letter but VBA state leadership threw its weight behind Kalate,” he said.
The NCP and senior leader Ajit Pawar had also tried to persuade Kalate to withdraw from the race, but the latter refused to budge. “First Kalate refused to listen and now VBA has decided to support him. Our problems have worsened,” said a senior NCP leader.
Kalate, meanwhile, said with the VBA’s support, his chances of winning have gone up. “The VBA support means that the fight will be between me and the BJP candidate. The NCP has been pushed to the third position. The battle has become a one-to-one fight,” he said.
In the 2019 Assembly elections, the electoral contest was between BJP leader Laxman Jagtap and Rahul Kalate, then a rebel Shiv Sena candidate. Though Jagtap won by a large margin, Kalate managed to secure over one lakh votes. “I got over one lakh votes against Laxman Jagtap, now I am confident the number will go beyond 1.5 lakh. This is because in the Maval seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha poll, the VBA candidate had secured over 20,000 votes.
Chinchwad Assembly constituency is part of the Maval Lok Sabha seat. I believe the VBA has good presence in Chinchwad, which has boosted my chances,” he said.
The NCP, however, said Kalate could get over one lakh votes in 2019 as he had the support of both NCP and Congress. “Kalate was a rebel Sena candidate… most of the votes that Kalate received belonged to NCP and Congress. Now, since we are not supporting Kalate and have our own candidate, our voters will prefer MVA candidate. Why would they go for Kalate,” Gavahane said.
Meanwhile, NCP leader Rohit Pawar, who campaigned for party candidate Nana Kate in Chinchwad seat on Friday, said,”There is certainly sympathy for BJP candidate Ashwini Jagtap due to the death of her husband (Laxman Jagtap). However, the sympathy will not translate into votes. Because people know there is no one behind her”.
BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule, who also campaigned for Aswhini Jagtap on Friday, said, “The BJP is not looking for sympathy for its candidate. Yes, sympathy is certainly there… but it is the kind of work that her husband and our party MLA Laxman Jagtap did in Chinchwad seat that has had a lasting impact on the voters’ mind. We are sure people will turn out in big numbers to vote for his wife as a tribute to his outstanding work as an MLA.”
