The death of Girish Bapat, the Bharatiya Janata Party's Lok Sabha MP from Pune city has sparked discussion on by-poll in the city. Queried about the same, opposition leader Ajit Pawar on Friday fumed and said it is just a third day after Bapat's death.
As per a report by MaTa, Pawar was asked a question on Congress' Vijay Wadettiwar who claimed that Congress will contest the Pune by-poll from Maha Vikas Aaghadi. Replying to the question, Pawar said that it is just a third day and discussing politics just after the death is not in Maharashtra's political culture.
In the death of Bapat, Pune BJP lost the third sitting lawmaker in the city. His death necessitates another by-poll in Pune. However, the question is whether the by-poll will be held as the general elections are due in 2024.
The tenure of Lok Sabha is scheduled to end on 16 June 2024. It means that the remainder of the term of the seat which fell vacant due to Bapat's death is more than a year.
The term of the 17th Lok Sabha is up to 16 June 2024. As the vacancy from Pune has occurred more than one year before the expiration of the term of the House, bye elections are required to be held under Section 151A of R. P. Act 1951 to fill this vacancy within six months from the date of occurrence of vacancy that is March 29.
Names of Bapat's daughter-in-law Swarada Kelkar Bapat, former mayor Murlidhar Mohol, and former MPs Sanjay Kakade, and Anil Shirole are said to be in the race from Pune BJP.
However, if Swarada Kelkar Bapat gets the ticket, there is a possibility that she will get elected unopposed.
