MLC elections: Congress, Sena bag Mumbai seats

MUMBAI: State environment minister Ramdas Kadam (Shiv Sena) and Bhai Jagtap (Congress) won two MLC seats in the city.
For the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, the outcome of the crucial MLC polls is being viewed as a major setback as its oblique bid to defeat Bhai Jagtap did not succeed. It was a boost for BJP, since its nominee Girish Vyas won the election unopposed from Nagpur and in Solapur, sitting NCP MLC Deepak Salunke lost to Prashant Paricharak, an Independent nominee backed by BJP.The results of eight MLC seats were declared on Wednesday.
The other victorious candidates are Bunty Patil (Congress) from Kolhapur, Amarish Patel (Congress) from Dhule-Nandurbar, Gopikishan Bajoria (Shiv Sena) from Akola and Arun Jagtap (NCP) from Ahmednagar. All through the focus of parties was on Mumbai and Kolhapur. It was a cakewalk for Kadam in view of the Sena’s comfortable strength in the BMC. However, the going was tough for Bhai Jagtap as NCP rebel Prasad Lad entered the race. Although there was an understanding between Congress and NCP to contest the elections jointly, eyebrows were raised after Lad, a trusted aide of former NCP minister Jayant Patil, filed his nomination papers as an Independent. Lad did not back out even after Sharad Pawar stepped in. “Lad had the blessings of senior NCP leaders, hence he refused to withdraw. He lost by two votes, it is actually Bhai Jagtap’s loss,” a senior Congress leader said.
In Kolhapur, there was a contest between Bunty Patil (Congress) and rebel Congress candidate Mahadev Mahadik, a sitting legislator. Since Bunty Patil was the architect of his party’s victory in the elections to the Kolhapur municipal corporation, he was nominated by the Congress high command. Bunty Patil polled 220 votes against 157 bagged by Mahadik. In Solapur, though NCP threw its weight behind Deepak Salunke, he was mauled by Independent candidate Paricharak by a margin of 120 votes. In Dhule-Nandurbar, Amarish Patel (Congress) defeated Shashikant Wani (BJP) by a margin of 322 votes.