Palghar bypoll to see four-cornered contest

The ‘satta’ market flourishing in aftermath of assembly elections

While betting on election outcomes is illegal, like most parts of the country there is an active ‘satta’ market in the state, and it is offering odds on the election results. Initially, the odds on offer seemed to suggest the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would be the single largest party, this later changed to the Congress.

Now, the odds seem to have changed again in favour of the BJP.

According to book makers, the BJP will be close to forming a government. Asked about what changed over the last 10 days of the campaign, one bookmaker told this diarist: “Modi’s burst of rallies seems to have done the trick for BJP. Unlike journalists who make up their minds and stick to it, our odds are decided by what we see in the market. Money rides on our reading. If the wind changes we change the odds and right now it looks like a BJP government even if it may require a bit of help from Independents and others.”

Apart from money, Innova cars, livestock , even farmland are being bet on the outcome of Tuesday’s results. MUMBAI : The May 28 bypolls for two Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra are set to be a tough contest with a four party face-off in the Palghar constituency and a two-party contest in the Bhandara-gondia constituency.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will take on its ally in the Centre and the state Shiv Sena in Palghar with the Congress and the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) also fielding candidates while the Bhandara-gondia seat will see a direct contest between the BJP and the National Congress Party (NCP).

Monday was the last day for withdrawing nominations. The bypolls are expected to clear party positions for 2019.

Bypolls for the two seats were declared following the death of Palghar BJP MP Chantaman Wanga and BJP MP Nana Patole, resigning from the party.

The Shiv Sena has fielded Chantaman Wanga’s son Shrinivas Wanga from Palghar.

This is the first time the Sena has fielded a candidate for a seat held by its ally since the two formed the government. For the contest in the Bhandara-gondia seat, the Congress and the NCP have come together.

Meanwhile, Congress candidate Vishwajeet Kadam was elected unopposed from the Palus-kadegaon assembly constituency after BJP candidate Sangram Singh Deshmukh withdrew his nomination on Monday. The bypoll was necessitated due to the death of Congress leader Patangrao Kadam..