Shiv Sena questions malfunctioning VVPAT machines, says this ‘not a BJP victory…It is the victory of the Election Commission’.
Mumbai: The BJP is on track to retain the Palghar Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra by a margin of nearly 30,000 votes in a closely fought bypoll, the final results of which will be officially declared Thursday afternoon.
BJP’s Rajendra Gavit won 2.72 lakh votes, while warring ally Shiv Sena’s Shrinivas Wanga secured 2.43 lakh votes. The local Bahujan Vikas Aghadi, which had always been strong in most parts of the constituency, came third.
The local Bahujan Vikas Aghadi, which had always been strong in most parts of the constituency, was at the third position with 1,79,739 votes.
Speaking to reporters, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said, “This is not the BJP’s victory. It is the victory of the Election Commission, which fought this election jointly with the BJP.”
Raut raised questions over the malfunctioning of VVPAT machines in Monday’s by-elections.
The bypoll was necessitated due to the death of sitting BJP MP Chintaman Wanga. The election, which has worsened relations between the BJP and its ally Shiv Sena, was important for both the parties.
The Shiv Sena was trying to emphasise that it will contest the 2019 elections alone by putting up a fight against the BJP in Palghar as well as send a message to its ally that it should not take the Sena for granted.
For the BJP, it was not just a question of fighting to retain its seat, but also a matter of pride and the need to showcase its electoral strength over the Sena.
The Palghar bypoll was characterised by a shrill, acrimonious campaign with the Shiv Sena inducting deceased BJP MP Wanga’s son, Shrinivas Wanga, and nominating him as its candidate.
Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had held several rallies across the constituency, warning the BJP of a repeat of the Uttar Pradesh bypolls earlier this year where the ruling BJP lost.
The BJP, on the other hand, poached Congress’ Rajendra Gavit and nominated him as the party’s candidate, slamming the Shiv Sena as dishonest and a “back-stabbing” friend for fielding the late BJP MP’s son.
The party also brought in Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath and union minister Smriti Irani to campaign for it in Palghar.
In the Bhandara-Gondia bypoll, the BJP was, however, trailing behind the NCP, supported by the Congress, by a margin of nearly 20,000 votes.
The Bhandara-Gondia bypoll was necessitated after sitting BJP MP Nana Patole resigned, criticising his party, and later joined the Congress. The Congress and the NCP fought the election together allowing the NCP to field its candidate against the BJP considering Bhandara-Gondia is also the constituency of senior NCP leader Praful Patel.
Speaking to reporters, Patel said, “The counting is still underway, so I will not comment on the results.”
“But as per trends, this shows that people are dissatisfied with the BJP governments at the Centre and in the state, and if like-minded parties come together it is possible to defeat the BJP,” he added.