Feb 26 bypolls: MVA yet to pick names

MUMBAI: After elections for five seats of the legislative council, Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are all set for another face-off ahead of the local body elections in Maharashtra. Though the MVA coalition is yet to decide their candidates, BJP declared a list of contestants for both seats on Saturday.

Elections for both seats are scheduled on February 26. The ruling party decided to field Hemant Rasane from the Kasba Peth assembly constituency and Ashwini Jagtap – wife of late MLA Laxman Jagtap – from the Chinchwad seat. It denied tickets to any family members of its deceased MLA Mukta Tilak.

This has upset the family that publicly expressed their ire after the names were declared.

“In such a situation, the opportunity to contest the by-poll has been given to a family member. Accordingly, we had sought the candidature, but the party has now decided to give it to someone else and we have accepted the decision,” said Shailesh Tilak – husband of

Mukta Tilak.

The MVA’s decision is likely to be made today as February 7 is the last day for nominations.

Maharashtra has a tradition of not contesting by-elections against the kin of a deceased MLA. However, political parties use the tradition at their convenience.

The by-polls for north Kolhapur and Pandharpur assembly constituencies were contested by BJP while in the Andheri (East) constituency, Eknath Shinde-led BSS decided to withdraw from the contest at the last minute.

MVA too decided not to follow the tradition and contest the polls.

HT PHOTO Ashwini Jagtap (BJP) was nominated for the Chinchwad seat in Pune.