Pune Bypoll Results: Congress Wins Big In Kasba Peth, BJP Nears Victory In Chinchwad

In the high-stakes Pune bypolls, BJP is set to win in Chinchwad and Congress won Kasba Peth bypolls.

Pic Credit: File Photo

Pune: Congress, on Thursday (March 2) scripted history by winning from the BJP bastion Kasba Peth after over 28 years. It was a contest between BJP's Hemant Rasane and MVA's Ravindra Dhangekar. On the other hand, BJP's Ashwini Jagtap is nearing victory with a considerable margin in the Chinchwad constituency against NCP's Nana Kate. 

Dhangekar won in Kasba Peth by an estimated 11,000 votes in a big blow to the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance. MVA workers took to the streets soon after the results were announced and Dhangekar's win was confirmed. In several videos, they were seen dancing on the streets while spreading gulal on one another.

In the Maharashtra Assembly House, Deputy CM, and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis commented on the bypoll results for Pune's Kasba Peth and Chinchwad constituencies. He said that the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance has accepted the bypoll result in Kasba Peth where Congress won after over 28 years.

However, he said the Opposition must also accept the result of the Chinchwad bypoll which the BJP has won.

Uddhav Thackeray reacts to Kasba Peth Bypoll Result

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Uddhav Thackeray took a dig at the BJP after Maha Vikas Aghadi's win in Pune's Kasba Peth. He accused the BJP of employing a "use and throw away" policy. He claimed that was seen in Pune and even with the Shiv Sena referring to the takedown of the Thackeary-Pawar government in Maharashtra. He bashed the saffron party for not giving the ticket to late MLA Mukta Tilak's family member.

The two constituencies went to polls on February 26 with the main contest between the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance and Congress and NCP.

Significance of Kasba Peth, Chinchwad bypolls

The results of the Kasba Peth and Chinchwad polls are likely to set the tone for the upcoming Mumbai civic elections and the Maharashtra assembly polls next year. This is the first election after the formation of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and BJP government in the state in place of the Uddhav Thackeray government. 

Kasba Peth's BJP MLA Mukta Tilak and Chinchwad's MLA Laxman Jagtap passed away necessitating the bypolls. The main contenders in Chinchwad were Ashwini Jagtap (BJP), Nana Kate (NCP), and Rahul Kalate (Independent). On the other hand, in Kasba, the contenders were Hemant Rasane (BJP), and Ravindra Dhangekar (MVA).