Giving the BJP a reason to cheer, the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has declared its support to the BJP candidate for the Kasba Assembly bypoll in Maharashtra, where the saffron party is facing a tough contest. Voting will be held on February 26.
The BJP has fielded Hemant Rasane for the Kasba seat, picking the loyal party worker over other aspirants, including family members of former sitting legislator Mukta Tilak, whose demise last December necessitated the bypoll. Rasane will contest against Congress candidate Ravindra Dhangekar, who was with the MNS earlier, and had put up a good performance in the 2009 Assembly election on an MNS ticket.
After the MNS declared on Tuesday that it would support the BJP as it was the only party effectively taking forward the issues of Hindutva and development, local BJP leaders soon held a meeting with the local MNS leader. “The MNS has conveyed their support to BJP in bypoll. This has provided more strength to BJP candidate in Kasba,” a BJP statement said. Former mayor Murlidhar Mohol, BJP in-charge of the election, also thanked MNS for its support.
The BJP picked Rasane over Mukta Tilak’s family members but though the Tilak family expressed disappointment over being denied a party ticket, they said they would continue to work for BJP. The BJP is also concerned about giving candidature to a non-Brahmin leader in its bastion of Kasba which has continuously picked a BJP candidate from the Brahmin community in the last few decades.
The Congress, which is contesting the seat as per a seat-sharing arrangement with Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance partners NCP and Shiv Sena, has fielded Dhangekar. He had contested the Assembly election from Kasba in 2009 as an MNS candidate, giving a tough fight to senior BJP leader Girish Bapat.
“Dhangekar managed good votes in 2004 due to his popularity among the voters. This is a concern for BJP in the present situation when the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena is with MVA and has increased strength of Congress,” said a Congress leader, adding that Dhangekar also enjoys a following among MNS and Shiv Sena party workers in Kasba.
The BJP is taking all possible efforts to retain its seat while banking on a sympathy vote after Tilak’s death. It has planned to rope in four Union ministers in its list of 40 star campaigners for the Assembly elections. The BJP is also making leaders of its alliance partners Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, RPI (A) and RSP campaign for its candidate.
On the other hand, the NCP and Thackeray-led Shiv Sena have extended full support to Dhangekar. Former chief ministers Ashok Chavan, Prithviraj Chavan and Sushilkumar Shinde, along with senior party leaders, will be campaigning for Dhangekar.
