As citadel Kasba Peth lies in tatters, BJP reflects: Did anti-incumbency trump caste factor?

The BJP’s choice of candidate allowed Congress to turn the elections into a mandate on Rasne and the BJP-run PMC. and gave the Opposition party’s candidate Ravindra Dhangekar an edge. One of the primary reasons why the BJP had chosen Rasne was that he is from the Other Backward Class (OBC) and the party believed he could stop OBC votes from consolidating in Dhangekar’s favour. But it did not work out like that.

A senior BJP functionary said, “In the BJP, nothing is left undiscussed. Whether it was selecting a candidate or drawing the campaign plan, everything was well-scripted and implemented. If we still lost it shows we have to reflect on our plans. Moreover, we cannot blame any single leader. All decisions are taken collectively. There is no excuse for failure.”

CM Eknath Shinde campaigned for BJP candidate Hemant Rasane before the Kasba bypoll. (Express file photo by Pavan Khengre)

Others in the party pointed to the lack of enthusiasm on the ground and said it reflected disenchantment with the candidate. It was apparent with the party’s state leadership monitoring the situation round the clock. “If the party BJP had fielded the right candidate in Kasba Peth, not only would it have given a fresh impetus to the cadre, it would have helped to elicit larger public support.” That the party did not benefit from the sympathy factor also points to lacunae in the party’s planning. The bypoll was necessitated by the death of former Pune Mayor Mukta Tilak.

The BJP leadership’s decision to prefer social engineering over family sentiments upset a section of the party. By ignoring Tilak’s family, it also likely alienated Brahmin voters. Explaining why the BJP had chosen Rasne, a party leader said before the elections that the leadership was afraid that choosing Tilak’s husband or son who are Brahmins might push away OBCs. But, as its citadel now lies in Congress control, the party is left reflecting on whether that was the correct call.