Palghar, Bhandara-Gondia vote in bypoll: Shiv Sena says result will go Gorakhpur way, BJP will lose

Sena supporters during a bike rally in Palghar last week. Prashant Nadkar

On the morning of Palghar and Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha bypolls, the Shiv Sena said results in the seat would go the Gorakhpur way and the BJP would be defeated. In Palghar constituency, Sena is contesting against its ally BJP. “The results in Maharashtra won’t be different. The state will put a step forward for change,” said an editorial in Saamana, Sena’s mouthpiece, referring to the BJP’s defeats in previous bypoll.

The editorial alleged that the government had used the police and revenue department’s machinery and that it was worrying for the state’s future. Sena also questioned why its ally did not find a single BJP member or RSS activist to contest the Palghar bypoll. Days before the filing of nominations for the bypolls, the BJP welcomed former Congress minister Rajendra Gavit into the party fold and fielded him as its candidate. Palghar bypoll was necessitated after BJP MP Chintaman Wanaga died earlier this year.

Sena fielded Wanaga’s son Shrinivas for the seat. “Giving ticket to Congressman to carry forward Wanga’s legacy is an insult to RSS Swayamsevaks. Gavit taking forward the RSS legacy is like Owaisi or Azam Khan taking place of the Sarsanghchalak,” the editorial said.

The editor said: “… whatever has happened in Gorakhpur will happen in Palghar and what happened in Phulpur will happen in Gondiya.”