Various city-based organisations and local units of several political parties are extending support to Congress candidate Ravindra Dhangekar who has posed a tough challenge to Hemant Rasane of the BJP in the Kasba Assembly bypoll.
Facing the heat, the BJP is also going all out to retain the Kasba seat—vacated after the death of its legislator Mukta Tilak—and has roped in many senior leaders of the party and those of alliance partners.
The Congress has got the full support of the NCP and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena for the February 26 bypoll with the leaders of alliance partners participating in the election campaign.
The Socialist Party of India has also given a letter of support to Dhangekar, saying its workers will campaign for him. The RPI led by Dipak Nikalje group and the All India Republican Party have also assured of full support to Dhangekar, and Ajit Abhyankar of the CPI (M) has decided to stand by him.
“It was high time that like-minded parties come together and take on the BJP unitedly. The Kasba bypoll is part of the strategy to get a candidate believing in secularism to be elected and represent the public in assembly,” said a leader of the Socialist Party of India.
On the other hand, the BJP has got Mahadev Jankar of Rashtriya Samaj Paksha, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale of RPI(A), and the leaders of Shiv Sena under the leadership of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde extending support to Rasane. The BJP also got ailing city MP Girish Bapat to address a rally and has convinced Mukta Tilak’s family members to campaign for Rasane. Tilak’s family had earlier expressed displeasure at not getting the party ticket.
“We are committed to our alliance with the BJP and would provide all support to its candidate in Kasba,” said Paksha’s Jankar.
The increasing closeness of MNS chief Raj Thackeray with the BJP in the recent past has also come as a big relief to Rasane. The MNS has extended its support to the BJP citing the Hindutva agenda and focus on development. However, it is not actively participating in the election campaign.
Incidentally, Congress’s Dhangekar is a former MNS leader who switched sides in 2017 but continues to have a good relationship with the local leaders and workers of his former party.
The BJP has also got former Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kakade and former party corporators from across the city to campaign for Rasane. It is focusing on a door-to-door campaign for Rasane.
