Mumbai: Shiv Sena candidate Trupti Sawant was elected to the Maharashtra Assembly in the prestigious by-poll from Bandra East constituency after she trounced her main opponent Congress heavyweight and former Home Minister Narayan Rane hours after the counting of votes began on Wednesday.
Trupti, widow of former Shiv Sena strongman Bala Sawant, secured a victory margin of over 19,000 votes, comfortably defeating Congress' Rane and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul-Muslimeen's (AIMIM) Raja Rahbar Khan, who stood a distant third.
The outcome indicated a serious setback to Rane's attempts to salvage his political career and future prospects. The Bandra (East) by-election was crucial for Rane who had lost the state Assembly poll last year from his home turf Sindhudurg district in coastal Konkan.
Bypoll was necessitated in the Bandra East constituency following the death of Shiv Sena MLA Bala Sawant.
As the results were announced, hundreds of Shiv Sena workers today celebrated their party's victory in Bandra East by-polls, outside Narayan Rane's residence saying there is no place for political opportunism in the country.
"I do not know what will happen to Rane's career now but it is anybody's guess. We were confident of (Sena candidate) Trupti Sawant's victory. We have once again shown that there is no place for political opportunism in the country," Sena MP Arvind Sawant told reporters.
Massive celebrations were also seen outside Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray's residence 'Matoshree' as party workers waived the saffron flag and shouted party slogans. They also busted fire crackers and distributed sweets among people.
Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party candidate Suman Patil was elected to the Maharashtra assembly in the by-poll from Tasgaon-Kavthemahankal constituency with a huge margin over her rebel BJP rival.
Patil, widow of former deputy chief minister RR Patil, an NCP stalwart, secured over 112,000 votes, comfortably trouncing rebel Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Swapnil Patil.
The by-election last Saturday in Tasgaon-Kavthemahankal was necessitated following the death of sitting legislator and former deputy chief minister RR Patil in February.
A total of 10 candidates were in the fray in Bandra (East) and nine in Tasgaon-Kavathe Mahankal constituency.
The bypoll for the two seats in Maharashtra was held on April 11.
