CM’s candidate loses poll in adopted village

In the second phase election for the 3,666 gram panchayat and sarpanch held on Monday within 18 districts of the state, the chief minister’s candidate lost the election of sarpanch in Fetari village in Nagpur district.

The village has been adopted by Fadnavis. Taking his stand on the result, Fadnavis said that he had given political freedom to the people. Nationalist Congress Party candidate Dhanashri Dhomane won the poll for the post of sarpanch.

The result was declared on Tuesday in which the result of Fetari was special as the village has adopted by the chief minister. In the 9-member Gram Panchayat, Bharatiya Janata Party won five seats whereas NCP won four.

As the election for sarpanch was direct among the people, Dhomane, Congress supported candidate of NCP won the election and grab the power despite BJP is in majority in Fetari Gram Panchayat.

In his reaction, Fadnavis said that he had never insisted the people to remain with the BJP. “They have freedom to choose their political parties. I have told them to go with any political party,” said Fadnavis, adding, “However, I have a list of sarpanches who were elected as BJP candidates. We will organise gathering of sarpanch won as BJP candidate very soon. The gathering will prove whether BJP is number one or the Congress,” he added. Mocking Congress over its victory in Nanded municipal corporation, Fadnavis said that it is like the student failed in all subject and scored in drawing examination.

“It is true that Congress won in Nanded. But the result should be analysed properly. “In previous election, vote share of BJP was only three percent and we had 2 seats in Nanded municipal corporation. Now we have 24 per cent share and won 6 seats. Whereas Congress came down to 48 percent,” said Fadnavis. He added that Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen completely washed out from Nanded.

“Congress gained in political arithmetic but this does not mean that Congress has emerged or will become aggressive in the future,” Fadnavis said.