Last Update: February 26, 2023, 07:51 IST
Uddhav Thackeray (left) and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde (right). (Photos: PTI and Twitter/@mieknathshinde)
The Uddhav-led faction of Shiv Sena is not contesting on both the seats but Aaditya Thackeray was holding roadshows with MVA leaders till last Thursday
Maharashtra Bypoll Updates: Voting for the Kasba Peth and Pimpri Chinchwad bypolls began on Sunday morning amid the ongoing political tussle in Maharashtra. The Shiv Sena-BJP faction led by Eknath Shinde and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance backed by former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray will clash in the battle of prestige.
The election was called due to the demise of Kasba Peth MLA Mukta Tilak and Pimpri-Chinchwad’s Laxman Jagtap. Shops and shops within 100 meters of polling stations will remain closed under section 144 on Sunday.
Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, state Congress president Nana Patole, NCP leader Ajit Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray and others campaigned in both the constituencies in the last ten days.
Here are the major updates:
- Voting began at 7 am on Sunday for the by-elections in Kasba Peth and Pimpri Chinchwad seats. Kasba and Chinchwad constituencies have 2,75,428 and 5,68,954 registered voters respectively.
- The Kasba assembly constituency in Pune city will see a contest between Ravindra Dhangekar of the MVA-backed Congress and Hemant Rasane of the BJP.
- In Chinchwad, the contest is between Ashwini Jagtap of BJP and Nana Kate of NCP. It is an industrial township near Pune city.
- Notably, the Uddhav-led faction of the Shiv Sena is not contesting on both the seats, but Aaditya Thackeray was holding roadshows with MVA leaders till last Thursday. On the other hand, Shinde and Fadnavis were seen campaigning from house to house till the last day.
- Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday dismissed allegations that the BJP was distributing money to win the Kasba bypoll in Pune district. Earlier, Ravindra Dhangekar had gone on a hunger strike, claiming that the BJP distributed money to voters. They called off the dharna after the police assured them that they would investigate the matter.
- Devendra Fadnavis said, “There is no culture of distribution of money in BJP. Whether we win or lose, we never share money. When someone is losing ground, they make such allegations. We are winning in Kasba and Chinchwad.”
- The counting of votes for the Pimpri Chinchwad and Kasba Peth bypolls will take place on March 2.
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