Bhandup by-poll: Saffron parties square off in battle

Mumbai: The by-election to be held in Ward no 116 in Bhandup on Wednesday, has assumed significance for both the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as both are jostling to become the single largest party in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The by-poll has been necessitated due to the death of Congress corporator Pramila Patil, who passed away due to heart attack on April 25.

In a desperate bid to improve their strength in the BMC, both Sena and BJP have fielded strong candidates for the by-poll. While Sena has fielded Minakshi Patil, wife of Bhandup MLA Ashok Patil, as its candidate, BJP has fielded Jagruti Patil, who is a daughter-in-law of deceased Pramila Patil.

Apart from Minakshi Patil and Jagruti Patil, there are five more candidates contesting the by-poll - Pramila Singh (Congress), Baby Sawant (Bahujan Samaj Party), Smruti Jadhav (Janata Dal Secular), Deepika Jadhav (Sambhaji Brigade) and Vaishali Gajdhane (Bahujan Mukta Party).