Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai) - HT Navi Mumbai Live
Kolhapur bypoll: Cong defeats BJP
MUMBAI: Congress candidate Jayshri Jadhav won the bypoll held to the Kolhapur (North) assembly segment defeating rival Satyajit (Nana) Kadam of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by 19,307 votes, results declared on Saturday revealed. Jadhav is the first woman to win from this seat since Independence.
The win is significant as it provides the ruling Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, comprising the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress, a muchneeded shot in the arm at a time when the BJP and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have tried to make religious identity an issue during the ongoing festival season, including seeking a prohibition on the use of loudspeakers outside mosques, while calling for the recitation of the Hanuman Chalisa prayer outside temples.
Jadhav is the wife of Chandrakant Jadhav, who wrested this seat from Sena legislator Rajesh Kshirsagar in the 2019 assembly elections. Chandrakant Jadhav died in December 2021 due to Covid-19 related complications, thus necessitating the by-election, which took place on April 12, and saw over 61% voter turnout. Kadam, BJP’s candidate, is the nephew of local strongman and former legislator Mahadeorao Mahadik. He said BJP had secured significant votes had risen despite the three MVA allies closing ranks.
Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole said it was a “victory of progressive thoughts.”
Minister of state for home Satej (Bunty) Patil, who had managed the Congress campaign, said Kolhapur has given a message of equality through this mandate.