Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai)

Dahanu, Vikramgadh gave BJP edge

- Ram Parmar

BJP TOOK A GOOD LEAD AFTER COUNTING OF VOTES IN DAHANU, IN A RELIEF FOR BJP’S RAJENDRA GAVIT, WHO POLLED AROUND 48,531 VOTES IN THE AREA, WHILE WANGA RECEIVED 38,186 VOTES THERE

PALGHAR: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which won the crucial Palghar Lok Sabha by-election on Thursday, predominan­tly secured votes from Dahanu and Vikramgadh talukas of the constituen­cy.

The Shiv Sena, which stood second in the bypoll, got votes from Palghar, Boisar and Vikramgadh, while the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) received votes from its citadels – Nallasopar­a and Vasai, as per the final figures declared by the Election Commission (EC) of India.

There are six Assembly segments in the Palghar Lok Sabha constituen­cy – Boisar, Palghar, Vikramgadh, Vasai, Nallasopar­a and Dahanu.

The BVA has MLAS in Boisar, Vasai and Nallasopar­a, the BJP has MLAS in Dahanu and Vikramgadh, while the Sena has an MLA in Palghar.

The BVA which holds sway in Vasai-virar belt saw a low voter turnout in Nallasopar­a and Vasai with 34% and 48% respective­ly.

The Sena, which had fielded late BJP MP Chintaman Wanga’s son Srinivas, was banking on sympathy votes from the areas where the BJP MP had worked.

From the first round of counting, the BJP had maintained a steady lead ahead of its rivals. There was a tough fight between the Sena and the BJP and it was thought that the former could take the lead.

However, the BJP took a consolidat­ed lead after counting of votes in Dahanu, in a relief for BJP’S Rajendra Gavit, who polled around 48,531 votes in the area, while Wanga received 38,186 votes from there.

In Vikramgadh, the Sena got 51,164 votes while the BJP received 56,578 votes.

In Boisar, the Sena secured 49,991 and led by 8,000-plus votes as the BJP received 41,132 votes. The BVA was disappoint­ed as it got 64,478 votes in Vasai, while in Nallasopar­a, it got only 76,450 votes.

The Congress, meanwhile, received a severe drubbing as the voters rejected Damodar Shingda, the six-time MP from the area and ended in the fifth place. CPI(M) candidate Kiran Gahala finished in the fourth place and polled a 71,194 votes.

 ?? HT ?? BJP candidate Rajendra Gavit celebrates with his supporters .
HT BJP candidate Rajendra Gavit celebrates with his supporters .

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