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VICTORY of Congress candidate Abhijeet Wanjari in Nagpur graduates’ constituency on Friday has come as a impolite jolt to the BJP that suffered its first ever debacle in the constituency.
With two get together heavyweights – Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis – and the RSS organisational behemoth in the backdrop, BJP nominee Nagpur Mayor Sandeep Joshi’s victory appeared a foregone conclusion. However, backed by the unprecedented unity throughout the get together and assist from its alliance companions NCP and Shiv Sena, Congress’s first-ever official nominee Abhijeet Wanjari romped dwelling with a margin of 18,710 votes.
The BJP was apparently weight down by the “caste” issue as was evident from the marketing campaign speeches of its leaders. “The opponents have brought in caste factor. The BJP has never played politics of caste and religion. One becomes big due to one’s qualities not caste. I am of the opinion that the caste and religion-based cells in the party should be disbanded. I appeal the voters not to fall prey to the caste factor and vote for Joshi,” Gadkari had stated at a get together rally on the final day of the marketing campaign.
Congress fielded Wanjari, a Teli, in opposition to BJP’s Joshi, a Brahmin. Telis are BJP’s conventional voters. So, to forestall a break up in their votes, BJP had named outstanding Teli neighborhood chief former Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule as Joshi’s marketing campaign in-charge.
Represented by many BJP stalwarts, together with Fadnavis’s father late Gangadharrao Fadnavis and Nitin Gadkari, the seat was at the moment held by get together’s Anil Sole, who had received his first election in 2014 by a enormous margin of over 33,000 votes. Considered Gadkari’s shut confidante, Sole, nevertheless, was changed after finishing only one time period with Fadnavis’s shut buddy Joshi inflicting disquiet in the get together.
Such was the BJP’s dominance in the constituency that the Congress had by no means put its candidate in the fray earlier than Wanjari.
The tide had began turning in favour of Congress nearly instantly after Joshi’s nomination. The chilly warfare between the Gadkari and Fadnavis camps was suspected to play out. And it did.
Days earlier than the election, a social media pamphlet with Sole’s {photograph} and a few questions posed to the get together management below the title, “Asaa mi kaay gunhaa kelaa?” (What was my fault?), searching for to know why he wasn’t renominated, went viral. Although Sole denied involvement in it, and likewise lodged a police criticism, leaders near him supported the sly marketing campaign blamed on a group that was indignant with Joshi for his tirade in opposition to Municipal Commissioner Tukaran Mundhe, who was transferred inside seven months from town. “All those questions are valid. Sole’s nomination was seen as a foregone conclusion. He had also done a lot of ground work by registering voters, which Joshi is now using. They didn’t even use his photo in their campaign material. They didn’t highlight the good work he did in the last six years since they were afraid people would ask why then the party chose to replace him,” stated a Sole supporter.
Mundhe’s supporters, too, largely youths, are believed to have performed a position in Joshi’s defeat. “The Mundhe factor did play out to dent Joshi’s prospects as, despite Mundhe ‘s obstinate conduct, people respected him for his honesty,” stated Congress corporator Prafulla Gudadhe.
Another issue that made BJP weak was the poor voter registration. This time round, the constituency noticed over 80,000 voters lower than in 2014. “BJP is known for its deft ground work among voters. This time we failed to build it up to a critical level due to Covid-19 pandemic,” stated a BJP chief.
Gudadhe, nevertheless, credit the victory to unprecedented unity amongst Congress factions. “Unlike in Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, there was no competitor to Wanjari in the party. So, all worked hard to get him elected,” Gudadhe stated.
He additionally burdened on the change of voters profile. “Earlier, there were a few graduates among non-Brahmins. Today, majority of graduates are from Bahujan samaj (OBCs). Joshi’s defeat also signifies the shift of OBCs away from the BJP,” Gudadhe stated, just about confirming caste as one of many deciding components in the ballot.
A senior BJP chief stated, “Ego and hysteria are at the highest level in the party at present. So, I have decided to keep off it.”
No different chief from the BJP was obtainable for a remark.
© The Indian Express (P) Ltd
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