Pune: Sharad Pawar's confession on Kasba by-poll, says 'was unsure of Ravindra Dhangekar's victory in BJP's bastion'

Newly-elected Congress MLA from Kasba Peth Assembly constituency in Pune city, Ravindra Dhangekar, visited the NCP chief Sharad Pawar at his residence in Pune.

Speaking to reporters after the visit, Pawar also admitted that he was 'unsure' that Dhangekar would be able to wrest the Kasba Peth seat from the BJP where the former legislator Girish Bapat had a lot of influence, but the people took note of the MVA candidate's performance in the region.

Pawar reiterated that the MVA allies -- Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena (UBT) -- will contest the next elections together in the state.

The 82-year-old leader recounted how, in the past few weeks, he has been touring different parts of the state and meeting a lot of people.

"The masses conveyed to me that they are desirous of a change in the state... They want the Opposition parties to unite and achieve this," Pawar told mediapersons in Pune.

The MVA, formed after the 2019 Maharashtra assembly elections when Uddhav Thackeray fell out with old ally BJP, comprises the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), NCP, and Congress. In the Kasba Peth byelection, results for which were declared on March 2, Congress-MVA candidate Ravindra Dhangekar trounced BJP's Hemant Rasne by more than 10,800 votes.

After the poll outcome, Pawar had said the Bharatiya Janata Party's defeat in its bastion indicated that winds of change were blowing across the country.

In Maharashtra, the BJP shares power with the Eknath Shinde faction, recently recognised as 'Shiv Sena' by the Election Commission. 

Published on: Monday, March 06, 2023, 07:51 PM IST