It was NCP’s strategy to ask Rahul Kalate to contest as an independent, says Devendra Fadnavis
MUMBAI : Policenama online – Devendra Fadnavis | The results of Kasba Peth and Chinchwad bypolls were announced on Thursday. MVA’s Ravindra Dhangekar emerged victorious in Kasba Peth and Ashwini Jagtap, the widow of MLA Laxman Jagtap, won the election in Chinchwad. There is speculation that Rahul Kalate’s rebellion helped the BJP to win the Chinchwad seat. Because of Kalate, NCP’s Nana Kate lost the election. NCP leader Ajit Pawar had alleged that BJP-Shiv Sena leaders had made efforts to ensure that Kalate should not withdraw his nomination. Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said that it was NCP’s strategy to ask Kalate to contest the bypoll. Fadnavis made these remarks while speaking with journalists. (Devendra Fadnavis)
It is being said that although Ashwini Jagtap won the Chinchwad bypoll, Rahul Kalate has proved a game changer. Speaking about this, Fadnavis said that Ashwini Jagtap had won by 36,000 votes and the voters of Chinchwad constituency had paid a tribute to Laxman Jagtap through this victory. The opponents are spreading a rumour that Ashwini Jagtap because of Kalate’s candidature but this is not true. Rahul Kalate had contested the bypoll after being told to do so by NCP leaders, he said.
In 2019, for the first time, an experiment was done. Kalate was given backing by all parties and he contested as an independent candidate. But he lost by 38,000 votes. If he had been given a ticket by Congress-NCP, the Hindutva votes of Shiv Sena would have gone to BJP and hence, he was asked to contest as an independent, he said.
“The same calculation was used for the Chinchwad bypoll held recently. If he had contested as a candidate by Congress-NCP, the Hindutva votes of Shiv Sena would have gone to BJP and hence, he was asked to contest as an independent. Kalate got many votes and all these votes would not have gone to MVA. If Kalate had not contested, 60 to 65 per cent votes would have been bagged by the BJP. This was a strategy of NCP and hence, it asked Kalate to contest,” Fadnavis added.
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