BJP retain its stronghold of Chinchwad, Ashwini Jagtap wins; NCP hit by rebellion

The Pune by-election has been in the news ever since it was announced. The impact of the power struggle in Maharashtra was also seen in the Pune bypoll. It is finally the BJP that has won the Chinchwad constituency. BJP candidate Ashwini Jagtap has won by a margin of over 36,000 votes. The Chinchwad by-election saw a triangular fight. The NCP's Nana Kate and independent candidate Rahul Kalate were up against Ashwini Jagtap. It is clearly visible that the Maha Vikas Aghadi has been hit by the rebellion of the Kalatens in this election.

There was a triangular fight in the Chinchwad by-election. Ashwini Jagtap had started taking the lead right from the first round of vote counting. Ashwini Jagtap appeared to have benefited from the triangular fight. After the 37th round of counting votes, Ashwini Jagtap got 1 lakh, 35 thousand, and 434 votes. On the other hand, NCP candidate Nana Kate got 99 thousand 343 votes. The rebel candidate of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, independent candidate Rahul Kalate, got 44 thousand 082 votes.

The Chinchwad constituency seat had fallen vacant after the death of late BJP MLA Laxman Jagtap. A by-election was announced for this seat. There was a lot of effort from the BJP to make this election uncontested. But eventually, the Maha Vikas Aghadi declared its candidate without declaring the election unopposed.

The NCP announced the candidature of Nana Kate from the Maha Vikas Aghadi. But the Maha Vikas Aghadi drew the ire of Rahul Kalate, who was insistent on the candidature. Ashwini Jagtap, wife of late MLA Laxman Jagtap, finally filed her nomination from the BJP. Nana Kate filed his nomination from NCP. But an upset Rahul Kalate filed his nomination as an independent, and the problems of the Maha Vikas Aghadi had increased in Chinchwad.