- PUNE: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Bhimrao Tapkir defeated the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate Harshda Vanjale, widow of deceased Maharashtra Nave Norman Sena (MNS) legislator Ramesh Vanjale.
The by-election to the Khadakvasla assembly seat was held last week following after the death of the MNS legislator.
In a tactical move Raj Thackeray’s MNS had not fielded their candidate but in an understanding negotiated with the NCP, according to NCP sources.
The NCP had campaigned extensively to ensure the victory of its candidate hoping that fielding the widow of the deceased legislator would garner them larger number of votes. But this did not happen. Senior NCP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had led the election campaign while BJP leader and leader of the opposition in the Parliament Gopinath Munde led the BJP’s campaign.
