Is BJP's withdrawal a strategic move decision to win Mumbai's civic polls?

The BJP's last-minute decision to pull out of the high-decibel Andheri (east) Assembly bypoll is seen as a strategic step factoring in the sympathy factor potentially in favour of the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction's nominee Rutuja Latke, say political observers.

As per the report of PTI, The BJP leadership must have weighed the odds and concluded that the risk to pit Murji Patel against the wife of late MLA Ramesh Latke is not worth taking for a single bypoll as the main battle is shaping up for the BMC polls, they said.

"If Rutuja Latke wins, it will come as a morale booster for Uddhav Thackeray. Her victory will mean that voters' sympathy is with Thackeray after the split in the party. The BJP seems wanted to deny Thackeray any chance to claim a high moral ground," they said.