BJP’s Palghar victory widens rift with Sena

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, May 31

BJP’s sole victory in the Lok Sabha byelections, where it retained the Palghar seat by defeating the Shiv Sena, has further widened the rift between the two parties.

BJP’s Rajendra Gavit defeated Sena’s Shrinivas Wanga by 29,000 votes to retain the seat. Gavit had moved to the BJP from the Congress after the Sena fielded Wanga for the byelection. Wanga’s father Chintaman was the sitting BJP MP whose death brought about the vacancy.

While Gavit bagged 2,72,780 votes, Wanga followed with 2,43,206 votes. Baliram Jadhav of the local Bahujan Vikas Aghadi, an outfit floated by controversial politician Hitendra Thakur, came third with 2,22,837 votes. Like the Sena, the BVA is part of the Devendra Fadnavis government in Maharashtra.

The Sena, however, blamed the Election Commission for its loss in the Palghar byelections. “Democracy is in danger if EC officials become puppets in the hands of the government,” Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray told reporters shortly after the election results were announced.

The Sena chief, however, refused to say whether his party would quit the alliance with the BJP in Maharashtra and extend support from outside.

NCP leader Praful Patel said:“Uddhav Thackeray is right, but no one will believe him till the time he is supporting the BJP.”

Meanwhile, NCP nominee Kukade Madhukrao Yashawantrao defeated BJP’s Hemant (Tanubhau) Patle in the Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha seat. The vacancy arose after sitting MP Nana Patole of the BJP quit the party and joined the Congress. He did not contest the election.