With the last date for filing nominations for the Kasba Assembly bypoll in Maharashtra around the corner, the ruling BJP is still in a fix on whether it should pick a relatively inexperienced member of the Mukta Tilak family or a party worker as its candidate.
The last date for filing nominations is February 7 and the party is leaving no stone unturned to retain the seat that was vacated following the death of sitting legislator Mukta Tilak, a member of freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak’s family.
Speculation is rife that the BJP might field a candidate other than a member of the Mukta Tilak family due to their inexperience in politics.
“The local BJP has sent few names to the state unit for the Kasba bypoll candidature and it would make a recommendation to the central unit for finalising the candidate,” senior BJP leader and Guardian Minister Chandrakant Patil said recently.
According to sources, the names of Shailesh Tilak and Kunal Tilak, the husband and son of Mukta Tilak, are part of the list submitted to the state BJP unit. The other names include Dheeraj Ghate, Hemant Rasane and Ganesh Bidkar.
“There is a demand from a faction of the local BJP to give a party ticket to a member of the Tilak family as respect to Mukta Tilak. However, her husband and son do not have much experience in politics so there is another opinion that giving a ticket to them would lead to promoting dynasty politics against which the BJP has been fighting and also would do injustice to loyal party workers who have been working hard for the party for long,” said a BJP leader.
The local BJP unit under the leadership of Patil has started the groundwork for the Kasba bypoll and is reaching out to its party workers urging them to put in all efforts for the party irrespective of who gets the candidature.
Unfortunately for the BJP, city MP Girish Bapat, who represented Kasba constituency in the state Legislative Assembly in the past, is unwell and under medical supervision. The BJP cannot expect much from an ailing Bapat and will have to fight hard to retain its bastion.
With the BJP in a fix, the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has adopted a wait-and-watch stance. Aspirants from Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) have sent out feelers to their respective parties about contesting the bypoll.
“We are closely watching the movements in BJP based on which the MVA will decide its strategy for the elections. The leaders of MVA will soon meet and take a decision,” said Congress spokesperson Ramesh Iyer said.
City BJP chief Jagdish Mulik has appealed to all Opposition parties to leave the bypoll unopposed as a sign of respect to Mukta Tilak. “The BJP had not fielded a candidate in the bypoll of Andheri Assembly seat and the Opposition parties should also do the same,” he pointed out, adding that the BJP has written to leaders of Congress, NCP, Shiv Sena and MNS for an unopposed election.