MUMBAI: Despite the tribal population of Palghar district being against the bullet train and Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway, the BJP managed to garner votes from three of the four tribal dominated belts of Dahanu, Vikramgad and Palghar in the Lok Sabha constituency bypoll.
Both the Dahanu and Vikramgad assembly segments belong to the BJP. During campaigning, tribals from villages likely to be affected by the projects had lamented that the party had not come to them seeking their votes. The BJP overtook the Shiv Sena in vote share in the tribal pockets. The BJP got 49,181 votes in Dahanu, while their rival Sena got 38,778 votes. The CPM candidate Kiran Raja secured more votes than the Sena (42,517), despite the Sena promising to oppose the two projects.
Social activist and political observer Ramakant Patil said that those opposed to the projects voted for the Sena. The BJP got the Congress votes in the tribal pockets as their candidate Rajendra Gavit, was a Congressman till a month ago. Kaluram Pardhi, a tribal from Hanuman Nagar in Palghar, who is opposed to the projects said that the BJP did not campaign in the areas from where the bullet train and expressway is to pass.
In Boisar, where a large number of tribals are likely to be affected by the projects, the votes went to the Sena candidate Shrinivas Wanga. The Sena secured 49,991 votes in Boisar compared to BJP's 41,632 seats. Even the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) that has an MLA from Boisar had to settle with few seats (46,754).
In Palghar, despite it being a Sena stronghold went to the BJP (56,215 votes). Here too, said political observers the Congress votes were dropped into the BJP kitty. With Gavit ditching the Congress, the party had to settle for Damodar Shingada.
Political observers said that as it was prestige seat for the BJP, they focused on diverting every seat in their favour. "The BJP workers were going around the tribal belts and who ever could garner over 200 seats were being put in touch with the chief minister Devendra Fadnavis," said a political observer in Vikramgad. He said that even if the Sena had tied up with the CPM they could have defeated the BJP. The CPM got 71,887 votes.
Former Independent MLA from Vasai and once Sena sympathiser Vivek Pandit too went with the BJP. Infact, it was Pandit who had accompanied Gavit to meet Fadnavis. Political observers said that projecting Gavit as the BJP's face in the bypoll was Pandit's way of hoping for a assembly ticket in the next election. Pandit has a sizeable tribal following due to his NGO Shramajeevi Sanghatana but that could not translate into actual votes, said observers.
The urban population of Vasai-Virar voted for the BVA but also did not disappoint the BJP. Uddhav Thackeray's campaigning in Vasai did not translate into votes. The Sena got 27,265 votes in Nalasopara while the BJP got 37,623. The low voter turnout in Nalasopara (34.83%) despite having the maximum of 4.5 lakh voters cost the BVA. Nalasopara MLA Kshitij Thakur blamed the low turn out to the election being held on Monday, a working day.
Political observers said that despite the BJP win, they have come to realise that the Palghar LS seat is a Sena seat and any alliance with other parties can ensure its victory. Political observers said that Gavit's win does not ensure him a ticket in the 2019 LS polls. "If the BJP-Sena alliance happens, the ticket will go to the Sena. And will be the end of Gavit's political career," said a political observer.
Source: TOI
Both the Dahanu and Vikramgad assembly segments belong to the BJP. During campaigning, tribals from villages likely to be affected by the projects had lamented that the party had not come to them seeking their votes. The BJP overtook the Shiv Sena in vote share in the tribal pockets. The BJP got 49,181 votes in Dahanu, while their rival Sena got 38,778 votes. The CPM candidate Kiran Raja secured more votes than the Sena (42,517), despite the Sena promising to oppose the two projects.
Social activist and political observer Ramakant Patil said that those opposed to the projects voted for the Sena. The BJP got the Congress votes in the tribal pockets as their candidate Rajendra Gavit, was a Congressman till a month ago. Kaluram Pardhi, a tribal from Hanuman Nagar in Palghar, who is opposed to the projects said that the BJP did not campaign in the areas from where the bullet train and expressway is to pass.
In Boisar, where a large number of tribals are likely to be affected by the projects, the votes went to the Sena candidate Shrinivas Wanga. The Sena secured 49,991 votes in Boisar compared to BJP's 41,632 seats. Even the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) that has an MLA from Boisar had to settle with few seats (46,754).
In Palghar, despite it being a Sena stronghold went to the BJP (56,215 votes). Here too, said political observers the Congress votes were dropped into the BJP kitty. With Gavit ditching the Congress, the party had to settle for Damodar Shingada.
Political observers said that as it was prestige seat for the BJP, they focused on diverting every seat in their favour. "The BJP workers were going around the tribal belts and who ever could garner over 200 seats were being put in touch with the chief minister Devendra Fadnavis," said a political observer in Vikramgad. He said that even if the Sena had tied up with the CPM they could have defeated the BJP. The CPM got 71,887 votes.
Former Independent MLA from Vasai and once Sena sympathiser Vivek Pandit too went with the BJP. Infact, it was Pandit who had accompanied Gavit to meet Fadnavis. Political observers said that projecting Gavit as the BJP's face in the bypoll was Pandit's way of hoping for a assembly ticket in the next election. Pandit has a sizeable tribal following due to his NGO Shramajeevi Sanghatana but that could not translate into actual votes, said observers.
The urban population of Vasai-Virar voted for the BVA but also did not disappoint the BJP. Uddhav Thackeray's campaigning in Vasai did not translate into votes. The Sena got 27,265 votes in Nalasopara while the BJP got 37,623. The low voter turnout in Nalasopara (34.83%) despite having the maximum of 4.5 lakh voters cost the BVA. Nalasopara MLA Kshitij Thakur blamed the low turn out to the election being held on Monday, a working day.
Political observers said that despite the BJP win, they have come to realise that the Palghar LS seat is a Sena seat and any alliance with other parties can ensure its victory. Political observers said that Gavit's win does not ensure him a ticket in the 2019 LS polls. "If the BJP-Sena alliance happens, the ticket will go to the Sena. And will be the end of Gavit's political career," said a political observer.
Source: TOI
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