BJP’s Ashwini Jagtap Thursday won from the Pimpri-Chinchwad seat by a margin of over 36,000 votes by defeating Nationalist Congress Party candidate Nana Kate and is all set to become the first woman MLA to represent the industrial city in the Maharashtra Assembly. 

Right from the first round of counting at the Thergaon Centre, Jagtap, fondly addressed as ‘Mayee’ in the Pimple Gurav area, remained ahead and never loosened her grip. It was only in the 20th, 21st and 22nd rounds that she secured fewer votes than Kate. However, she managed to maintain a constant lead. Even before the counting of votes of the Pimple Gurav and Sangvi areas, the two strongholds of the Jagtap family, could be taken up, it had become clear that Ashwini Jagtap would emerge victorious. BJP leaders said she secured votes even in areas dominated by Kate and Kalate. Read more

BJP retaining the Chinchwad Assembly seat with a good margin of 36,000 votes comes as a big blow to Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) which was eyeing a comeback to the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) where it ruled for 15 years. With civic elections likely in a couple of months time, BJP says victory will infuse new life into the party rank and file for the upcoming polls. 

Despite the loss, NCP said it was a morale booster for them. “BJP used all money and muscle power to retain the seat, using all dubious means. However, we put up a good fight, with our candidate securing nearly one lakh votes across the constituency which is an achievement, as the same candidate had managed around 40,000 votes in 2014. This means his stock has gone up by 60,000 votes,” said Pimpri Chinchwad NCP President Ajit Gavahane. Read more

In an initially closely fought contest, Ashwini Jagtap, who was widely considered as a favourite, ultimately retained the seat for the party by defeating NCP's Nana Kate. Interestingly, Independent candidate Rahul Kalate, who belongs to the Shiv Sena (UBT), played a major role in dividing MVA votes, resulting in Kate’s defeat.

From the beginning, Kalate trailed the lead players. However, the votes bagged by him proved decisive as to who would win the seat. Kalate, a Shiv Sena (UBT) rebel, got over 4,50,000 votes. The total number of votes polled by Kate and Kalate add up to much more than the votes secured by the BJP candidate.

In fact, the NCP wasted no time in pointing a finger at Kalate. “I had told Kalate to step aside in favour of Nana Kate. Attempts were also made to ensure that Kate is not able to file the nomination form. However, Kalate refused to listen,” said NCP leader Ajit Pawar. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray too had made efforts to get Kalate out of the race. He had deputed his emissary, Sachin Aher, a Sena leader, to pacify Kalate and make him withdraw from the race. Kalate, however, refused to heed the pleas. He contended that he had secured 1.12 lakh votes in the 2019 election and therefore wanted to stay put in the race and prove his political mettle. Read more

Following BJP's defeat in Kasba Peth bypoll, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said his party would "come again to seek the blessings" of Kasba residents. Congress candidate Ravindra Dhangekar defeated BJP's Hemant Rasane in the Kasba bypoll.

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— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) March 2, 2023

Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis congratulated Ashwini Jagtap over her win in Pimpri-Chinchwad bypolls today and thanked Chinchwad residents for supporting her.

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— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) March 2, 2023

Ashwini Jagtap's win in Chinchwad is a moving tribute to Laxmanbhau Jagtap, he said in a tweet in Marathi.

A former Shiv Sena worker who entered politics because of Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, Ravindra Dhangekar was a known loyalist of Raj Thackeray during his days in the Sena and later joined him in the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). Dhangekar was elected as a corporator in the Pune Municipal Corporation during his stints in the Sena as well as the MNS. He is a four-time corporator.

In 2017, Dhangekar left the MNS, feeling isolated in the party, and sided with the Congress after his attempts to join the BJP fell through. That year, he contested as an Independent in the Pune civic polls with the support of the Congress and defeated BJP heavyweight Ganesh Bidkar.

During the bypoll campaign, Dhangekar received support from sections of MNS workers on the ground even though the party declared support to the BJP and warned party workers against campaigning for the Congress leader. The Congress leader also benefitted from the differences within the BJP. The family members of former Pune Mayor Mukta Tilak, whose death necessitated the bypoll, were unhappy with the party fielding Hemant Rasne and overlooking them. Ajay Jadhav writes

Congress general secretary communications Jairam Ramesh today today's bypoll results were 'very encouraging'. The Congress  topday wrested one seat each from the BJP and the TMC in Maharashtra and West Bengal respectively and retained a seat in Tamil Nadu with DMK's support, while the BJP and its ally AJSU bagged one seat each in the western state and Jharkhand.

Although the BJP managed to hold on to the Chinchwad seat, it suffered a setback as it failed to Kasba Peth Assembly seat, its stronghold in the district, as Congress candidate Ravindra Dhangekar defeated the saffron party nominee Hemant Rasane. The BJP held the seat for 28 years. Girish Bapat, the current BJP MP from Pune, represented the seat five times till 2019.

Dhangekar, who was supported by Maha Vikas Aghadi allies Nationalist Congress Party and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), polled 73,194 votes while Rasane received 62,244 votes, as per figures on the Election Commission's website after the final round of counting.

BJP’s Ashwini Jagtap Thursday won from the Pimpri-Chinchwad seat by a margin of over 36,000 votes by defeating Nationalist Congress Party candidate Nana Kate and is all set to become the first woman MLA to represent the industrial city in the Maharashtra Assembly.

In an initially closely fought contest, Jagtap, who was widely considered as a favourite, ultimately retained the seat for the party by defeating Kate. Interestingly, Independent candidate Rahul Kalate, who belongs to the Shiv Sena (UBT), played a major role in dividing MVA votes, resulting in Kate's defeat.

Right from the first round of counting at the Thergaon Centre, Jagtap, fondly addressed as ‘Mayee’ in the Pimple Gurav area, remained ahead and never loosened her grip. It was only in the 20th, 21st and 22nd rounds that she secured fewer votes than Kate. However, she managed to maintain a constant lead. Manoj More reports

Reeling from a downward spiral since the exit of Suresh Kalmadi from city politics, the Congress’s Pune unit has got something to cheer about as the victory of Ravindra Dhangekar, its Kasba bypoll candidate, on Thursday gave it an MLA after almost a decade.

In 2009, the Congress managed to get two MLAs elected from the city — Vinayak Nimhan from Shivajinagar and Ramesh Bagwe from Pune Cantonment — but could not retain the seats in 2014 as the BJP won all the eight seats in the city, with all parties contesting the election independently.

In 2019, the Congress contested the Shivajinagar, Pune Cantonment and Kasba seats as per an arrangement with the NCP but failed to win any of them. Once a Congress bastion, Pune lost the tag after facing defeat in the past two Lok Sabha elections to the BJP —Vishwajeed Kadam lost to Anil Shirole in 2014 and Mohan Joshi was beaten by Girish Bapat in 2019. Kalmadi won the seat for the Congress in 2004 and 2009. Ajay Jadhav writes

After the final round of counting,  BJP candidate Ashwini Jagtap wins the Chinchwad assembly seat with a lead of over 36,000 votes from her rival Nana Kate of NCP.

Ashwini Jagtap- 1,35,434
Nana Kate- 99,343
Rahul Kalate- 44,082

Celebrations were galore at Congress Bhawan today after Ravindra Dhangekar's won the Kasba Peth bypoll.

Express Photos by Pavan Khengre

It was a BJP bastion till Ravindra Dhangekar pulled off an upset on Thursday. The 56-year-old Congress leader ended the ruling party’s three-decade hold on the Kasba Peth Assembly constituency in Maharashtra’s Pune district, his victory built on his superior network in the area and a united Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). He also benefitted from divisions within the BJP.

After 35th round of counting,  Nana Kate of NCP trails by 35,289 votes as BJP candidate Ashwini Jagtap takes a huge lead. Independent candidate Rahul Kalate, who has won 43,170 votes so far, is out of the race.

Ashwini Jagtap- 1,31,464
Nana Kate- 96,175
Rahul Kalate- 43,170

Supporters of Ashwini Jagtap are celebrating as the BJP leader from Chinchwad constituency heads for her first victory.

After 34rd round of counting,  Nana Kate of NCP trails by 34,416 votes as BJP candidate Ashwini Jagtap takes a huge lead. Independent candidate Rahul Kalate, who has won 43,051 votes so far, is out of the race.

Ashwini Jagtap- 1,28.216
Nana Kate- 93,800
Rahul Kalate- 43,051

Reacting to Ravindra Dhangekar's win in Kasba byoll, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddha Thackeray said the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) "use and throw policy has proved to be its undoing".

pic.twitter.com/cH9vXnpNR6

— Uddhav Thackeray (@uddhavthackeray) March 2, 2023

"Happy with MVA victory in Kasba.. BJP's use and throw policy has proved to be its undoing. Kasba has freed itself from BJP clutches. And now, even the country will free itself," he said.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Maharashtra has suffered a major setback in its traditional stronghold of the Kasba Peth Assembly constituency in Pune, where the Congress’s Ravindra Dhangekar trounced the former’s candidate Hemant Rasne by over 10,800 votes.

BJP candidate Ashwini Jagtap now leads by 32,645 votes in Chinchwad seat over nearest rival Nana Kate of NCP. 32 rounds over. 5 more to go.

Ashwini Jagtap- 1,21,584
Nana Kate- 88,939
Rahul Kalate- 41,012

BJP candidate Ashwini Jagtap now leads by over 29,000 votes in Chinchwad seat over nearest rival Nana Kate of NCP. 31 rounds over. 6 more to go.

With the completion of the 30th counting round, BJP's Ashwini Jagtap establishes big lead of 27,729 votes over nearest rival Nana Kate. Independent candidate Rahul Kalate trails far behind.

Ashwini Jagtap- 1,12,113
Nana Kate- 84,384
Rahul Kalate- 38,900

Congress candidate Ravindra Dhangekar Thursday defeated the BJP’s Hemant Rasane by over 10,000 votes in a closely-fought contest in its bastion of Kasba Assembly constituency.

Watch Express photo and video by Arul Horizon

Ravindra Dhangekar's supporters celebrate at Congress Bhagwan over his win in #Kasba bypoll
Watch Express Video: pic.twitter.com/i6ZGhGqhQa

— Express PUNE (@ExpressPune) March 2, 2023

In a major setback to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, Congress candidate Ravindra Dhangekar Thursday defeated the BJP’s Hemant Rasane by over 10,000 votes in a closely-fought contest in its bastion of Kasba Assembly constituency.

After the 28th counting round, BJP's Ashwini Jagtap establishes big lead of 23,307 votes over nearest rival Nana Kate. Independent candidate Rahul Kalate goes out of the race.

Ashwini Jagtap- 1,05,138
Nana Kate- 81,831
Rahul Kalate- 32,178

With the completion of the 26th counting round, BJP's Ashwini Jagtap establishes big lead of 17,578 votes over nearest rival Nana Kate. Independent candidate Rahul Kalate goes out of the race.

Ashwini Jagtap- 96,431
Nana Kate- 78,853
Rahul Kalate- 29,624

Kasba Peth assembly results are out and Congress' Ravindra Dhangekar has succeeded in ending the five-term run of BJP in this constituency that was often touted as the bastion of the saffron party.

Atikh Rashid points out the five reasons that likely played a part in ensuring Congress' win and BJP's defeat.

'Kamacha Manoos' Dhangekar

Dhangekar (56) is extremely popular in large pockets of Kasba Assembly Constituency as 'Kamacha Manoos' (the man who gets the work done). He has been a corporator from the area for the last 25 years from various political parties as well as an independent.  During the campaign, it was clear that more than anything else the contest in Kasba was 'Dhangekar vs BJP'. The voters from his sphere of influence were reiterating that they would have voted for Dhangekar irrespective of the party.

MVA unity

This by-poll was the first time in two decades that there was a straight fight between two candidates. Several previous assembly polls have seen multi-cornered fights with a number of strong candidates entering the fray from the eastern part of the constituency. In this bypoll, MVA managed to stop any rebellion in its ranks -- something that it failed to do in Chinchwad with Rahul Kalate's rebellion. In Kasba, Congressman Balasaheb Dabhekar had filed his nomination as an independent but party managed to persuade him to withdraw.

Discontent in BJP

Although the party's state leadership left no stone unturned to pull the victory away from Dhangekar, it was clear from the beginning that everything was well within its city camps. The family of Mukta Tilak, whose untimely death necessitated the bypoll, was dejected for not letting a member of the family contest the poll and made its displeasure known publicly.Girish Bapat, four time MLA who is now the Pune MP, was more or less out of action due to serious illness. Popular BJP corporator Dheeraj Ghate, who was among the aspirants for the ticket, said to have remained dispirited due to the denial of candidature.

Anti-incumbency in Kasba

The election results show that Dhangekar received considerable votes even from areas that are Bramhin dominated and are said to be a BJP stronghold for decades. These areas, which have a plethora of issues that remain unaddressed such as those pertaining to water supply, sewage management and vehicular traffic. As a result, tens of thousands of residents from this central part of the city have moved to newer localities. The important issue of redevelopment of old and crumbling wadas remains unattended.

Hemant Rasne's candidature

Based on the internal assessment, the BJP party leadership decided to field Hemant Rasane, who helmed the standing committee of PMC for three consecutive years and is also a office-bearer of Pune's most popular Ganesh temple - Dagadusheth Halwani Ganpati Mandal. Rasane, however, lacked contact among the masses. In the eastern part of the constituency, many voters had not even seen him at all. Also, despite chairing the standing committee for several years, he did not have much work to show in Kasba Peth constituency. BJP insiders say that a candidature of someone from Tilak family or that of Dheeraj Ghate may have proved better.

After the 25th counting round, BJP's Ashwini Jagtap has 90,266 votes, NCP's Nana Kate has 76,983 and Independent Candidate Rahul Kalate has 29,200 votes.

After the 23rd counting round, BJP's Ashwini Jagtap has 81,174 votes, NCP's Nana Kate has 71,216 and Independent Candidate Rahul Kalate has 28,415 votes.

After the completion of the 21st round of vote counting, Jagtap is in the lead with 74,402 votes. Kate trails behind with 64,151 votes and Kalate has 27,200 votes. Jagtap's lead is significant, as it exceeds 10,000 votes. This indicates a strong mandate for Jagtap from the electorate, and it will be difficult for Kate or Kalate to catch up in the remaining rounds of vote counting.

However, it's important to note that the final results will only be known after all rounds of vote counting have been completed. Until then, there remains a possibility of the other candidates closing the gap.

Ashwini Jagtap (BJP)= 71,179

Nana Kate (NCP)= 61,549

Rahul Kalate (Independent) =23,255

In a major setback to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, Congress candidate Ravindra Dhangekar Thursday defeated the BJP’s Hemant Rasane by over 10,000 votes in a closely-fought contest in its bastion of Kasba Assembly constituency.

The third edition of the Army to Army Staff Talk (AAST) between the Indian Army and Vietnam People’s Army was conducted at Pune. The AAST focussed on a joint military exercise, training cooperation and preparing a roadmap for the enhancement of Defence Cooperation between the two Armies.

Ashwini Jagtap (BJP)= 67,306

Nana Kate (NCP)= 55,747

Rahul Kalate (Independent) =22,771

Ashwini Jagtap leading by over 12000

In a major setback to the ruling Chief Minister led Eknath Shinde BJP-Shiv Sena government in the state, BJP lost the battle of prestige in its bastion of Kasba assembly constituency as Congress candidate Ravindra Dhangekar defeated BJP candidate Hemant Rasane by over 10,000 votes in a closely fought contest.

Dhangekar bagged 72,599 votes while Rasane got 61,771 votes at the end of Round 20 in the Kasba constituency.

Attributing his win to voters, Dhangekar said, “It is the victory of voters as they had taken the responsibility to get me elected. I will work hard for the people of the constituency and prove true to the confidence shown in me.”

He informed that state Congress chief Nana Patole, NCP leader Ajit Pawar and Aadtiya Thackeray of Shiv Sena (UBT) called to congratulate him.

“I must have fallen short in something that I had to face defeat. I will analyse the voting and work on overcoming shortcoming,” Rasane said after the defeat.

Jagtap 52757

Kate 43757, Kalate 16,914

Ashwini Jagtap (BJP) continues to lead.

After Round 20: Ravindra Dhangekar of Congress gets 72599 and Hemant Rasane of BJP gets 61771. Congress wins Kasba assembly seat in BJP bastion.

The Assembly byelections for Kasbapeth and Pimpri-Chinchwad in Maharashtra seem to bring mixed baggage for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Going by the early trends of vote counting on Thursday, it is evident that BJP’s Ashwini Jagtap has taken the decisive lead in Chinchwad against Nationalist Congress Party’s Nana Kate.

Pratibha Dhangekar, the wife of Ravindra Dhangekar, the Congress candidate in the Chinchwad bypolls, made a statement at their office located in Raviwar Peth. She claimed that the communal polarisation tactics employed by BJP leaders during their campaign actually ended up benefiting the Congress party. According to her, the people of Kasba were outraged by the low-level politics of the BJP and consequently shifted their support towards the Congress party.

Ravindra Dhangekar of Congress gets 56,497
Hemant Rasane of BJP gets 50,490

Ashwini Jagtap- 42510
Nana Kate- 34338
Rahul Kalate- 13117

Ashwini Jagtap leads by 8172 in 12 round. Total 37 rounds

At the counting centre mood has shifted in Dhangekar's favour with BJP leaders outside the counting centre slowly leaving the spot.

Watch | At Ravindra Dhangekar's office premature celebrations have broken out with slogans in favour of Dhangekar and MVA. pic.twitter.com/Eji34Y39fG

— Express PUNE (@ExpressPune) March 2, 2023

Ashwini Jagtap- 32288
Nana Kate- 25922
Rahul Kalate- 10705

Jagtap leads by over 7200 votes.

According to supporters of Ravindra Dhangekar, the Congress candidate in the Chinchwad bypolls, he is expected to increase his lead in the upcoming rounds of vote counting. This is because the majority of the votes that will be counted in the subsequent rounds are believed to be from areas that traditionally support the Congress party.

The supporters' belief suggests that they have a good understanding of the local political landscape and the voting patterns in the region. They may be relying on historical voting trends to predict the outcome of the bypolls. However, it is important to note that the results of the bypolls are subject to many variables, and the final outcome may not necessarily align with the expectations of Dhangekar's supporters.

The counting for Kasba is almost halfway but the contest as expected is still close. Ravindra Dhangekar of Congress has managed to retain the lead for most of the rounds but the margin of lead is not much over his rival Hemant Rasane of BJP.

Incidentally, the BJP's concerns have increased as most voters in parts of Kasba which always stood by the BJP have voted for Dhangekar of Congress.

In the last few decades, the Kasba seat was won by BJP and it became a bastion of the saffron party. However, the bypoll has made the BJP struggle to retain its bastion.

Ravindra Dhangekar, the Congress candidate in the Chinchwad bypolls, expressed confidence in his victory, stating that he would win by over 20,000 votes.

He also accused the BJP of trying to polarize the electorate to gain votes but claimed that the people had defeated their tactics. This statement comes after the seventh round of counting saw a decrease in his lead over the BJP candidate Hemant Rasane.

The eighth round of counting in the Chinchwad bypolls witnessed a decrease in the lead of Ravindra Dhangekar from the Congress party, as Hemant Rasane of the BJP received more votes. 

After the conclusion of the round, Ravindra Dhangekar received 30,527 votes while Hemant Rasane secured 27,187 votes. The competition between Congress and the BJP has been intense throughout the bypoll, and this latest development could prove crucial in determining the eventual winner.

Meanwhile, at the end of the eighth round of counting, Ashwini Jagtap was leading with 25,126 votes, followed by Kate with 21,035 votes, and Kalate with 8,999 votes. The bypoll has been closely watched by political observers as it is seen as a crucial indicator of the public sentiment in the region. The results will have far-reaching consequences for both the Congress and BJP parties, as well as the candidates themselves. As the counting process continues, the tension is likely to mount, and it remains to be seen who will ultimately emerge victorious.

The fourth round of counting in the election has been completed, and as per the results, Ravindra Dhangekar of Congress has secured 14,891 votes, while Hemant Rasane of BJP has secured 14,382 votes. These figures are based on the votes counted up until the fourth round of counting.

It's important to note that the election is still ongoing, and the final result may change as more rounds of counting are completed. The outcome of the election will ultimately depend on the total number of votes secured by each candidate, and it is not possible to predict the final result at this stage.

However, based on the current results, it appears that Ravindra Dhangekar of Congress has a slight lead over Hemant Rasane of the BJP. The remaining rounds of counting will be closely watched by both parties and their supporters, as the final result is likely to have significant political implications.

In the Kasba constituency, Ravindra Dhangekar from the Congress party is currently leading by a narrow margin of 500 votes over Hemant Rasane from the BJP party. It is important to note that these results are subject to change as the vote-counting process is still ongoing. The final result will be declared once all votes have been counted and verified. It is also possible that there may be a recount if the margin of victory is very close. The KASBA constituency is closely watched by both parties as it is a key battleground in the current election.

BJP's Ashwini  Jagtap 11,105, Kate 9992 and Kalate 3535 votes in the third round

The recent two-round election has resulted in a clear victory for BJP's Ashwini Jagtap, who received a total of 7996 votes. NCP's Nana Kate was the closest competitor with 7249 votes, while independent candidate Rahul Kalate received 3046 votes. The results show that BJP's campaign and policies have resonated with a majority of voters in the region, leading to their decisive win.

However, it's also worth noting that the competition was relatively close, and NCP's support base cannot be discounted. Meanwhile, the performance of independent candidate Rahul Kalate highlights the growing trend of rebellion against established parties and the potential impact of such candidates in future elections.

Overall, the election results indicate the importance of effective campaigning and policies in gaining voter support, as well as the significance of independent candidates in shaping the political landscape.

BJP candidate Ashwini Jagtap leads by total of 676 votes against NCP's Nana Kate by the end of the second round of counting in Chichwad assembly bypoll.

Congress candidate Ravindra Dhangekar leading by 2200 votes against BJP's Hemant Rasne in prestigious battle for the Kasba Peth assembly constituency.

BJP's Ashwini Jagtap 4167, MVA's Nana Kate 3648 and independent Rahul Kalate 1674

Ashwini Jagtap of BJP leads over NCP's Nana Kate in the first round. Remember, these are postal ballot votes, and trends could change in the next few hours.

To ensure a smooth counting process for the Kasba Peth and Chinchwad Assembly by-polls, a significant police force has been deployed. Police teams are stationed at the counting centres and constituency areas, and some specialized patrolling teams are formed to maintain law and order. The counting for these assembly constituencies is taking place at FCI Godown premises in Koregaon Park and Shankar Anna Gawade Smruti Kamgar Bhavan in Thergaon. Furthermore, the police are closely monitoring social media platforms and have urged citizens to avoid posting any inappropriate content. 

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