Pune: Twist in Kasbapeth, MNS candidates to be announced on Monday

The BJP has announced candidates for Kasba and Chinchwad. Hemant Rasne has been fielded from Kasba by the BJP, while Vaishnavi Jagtap, wife of late MLA Laxman Jagtap, has been fielded in Chinchwad.

Hemant Rasne has been chairman of the standing committee three times. After the death of Mukta Tilak, the BJP fielded a candidate from outside the Tilak family.

Ganesh Bidkar, Dhiraj Ghate, Shailesh Tilak, and Kunal Tilak from the Tilak family were keen to contest the Kasba byelection along with Hemant Rasne from the BJP.

After the BJP's candidature, all eyes are now on who will be the candidate of the Maha Vikas Aghadi against Rasne.

Now the MNS is also going to contest this election, this is going to create more twists and turns in the city. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) will announce the names for the Kasba by-election on Monday (February 6).

MNS president Raj Thackeray will be on a two-day visit to Pune from tomorrow, during which Thackeray will hold a meeting of city executive leaders. This time, Raj Thackeray will also check the list of candidates.

Party workers have expressed confidence that the MNS can win the Kasba assembly seat based on Hindutva, and the MNS is considering Ganesh Bhokare, Ajay Shinde, Ganesh Satpute, Ashish Deodhar, Nilesh Hande, Pralhad Gawli, and Bala Shedge for Kasbapeth.