Pune, Oct 28 (PTI) BJP candidate Kaustubh Gawade on Wednesday won the Pune Teachers’ constituency in the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections, conducted with ballot papers.
Gawade defeated Shiv Sena-backed candidate Sachin Sanap, who is an OSD to state minister Uday Samant, and sitting Congress MLC Jayant Asagaonkar.
At the end of 28 rounds, Gawade secured 23,117 votes while Sanap bagged 16,347 votes.
Polling for the five MLC seats, including Pune Graduates’, Nagpur Graduates’, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) Graduates’, Pune Teachers’ and Amravati Teachers’ constituencies took place on October 23.
The polls were necessitated because the term of the sitting members of these constituencies ends on December 6.
Gawade said his victory belonged to the teaching community and vowed to work towards resolving teachers’ long-pending issues.
Speaking to reporters after the counting of votes, Gawade said he was proud to emerge as one of the youngest members of the state legislature.
“This victory is not mine alone; I consider it a victory of all teachers. From the day I took up the fight on the streets for teachers’ rights and justice, I dedicated my life to their cause,” he said.
Gawade said he would focus on addressing issues concerning teachers and non-teaching staff, particularly those working in unaided and partially aided schools before 2005 who have not received the benefits of the old pension scheme.
He said Shiv Sena-backed candidate Sanap contested the election in a friendly manner despite representing a different party within the ruling Mahayuti alliance.
He rejected allegations of money being distributed to teachers and pressure being exerted on educational institutions to influence voting. PTI SPK NSK
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