NCP leader Ajit Pawar says MVA leaders of view to contest Pune assembly bypolls

Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar  said Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders are of the view to field MVA candidates for the upcoming bypolls to Chinchwad and Kasba Peth assembly constituencies in Pune.

According to a report of PTI, Both the seats fell vacant recently after the death of sitting MLAs- both belonging to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Pawar said Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole, his NCP counterpart Jayant Patil, and other senior leaders will meet in Mumbai on January 24.

Many office-bearers of NCP from Chinchwad told me we need to contest the by-polls, he said. Chinchwad and Kasba Peth seats were represented by MLAs Laxman Jagtap and Mukta Tilak, respectively. Tilak died last December and Jagtap earlier this month. The bypolls will be held on February 27 and the results will be announced on March 2, as per the schedule announced by the Election Commission.

Leaders from Maha Vikas Aghadi think we should contest bypolls for Kasba Peth and Chinchwad Vidhan Sabha constituencies, the former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister told reporters. Maha Vikas Aghadi, formed after the 2019 Maharashtra assembly elections, comprises the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) faction, Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party, and Congress.

Pawar said the ruling BJP might give a ticket to the late Jagtap's wife or his brother Shankar Jagtap for the Chinchwad byelection. I have heard that names of Shankar Jagtap and the wife of the late MLA are sent to the BJP high command, he said. For the Kasba Peth bypoll, several names including that of Ganesh Bidkar are on the BJP's list, he said. I also heard that members of the late Mukta Tilak's family are also interested. The BJP decides the final names. We should not poke our nose into BJP's business, he added.