BJP no longer in race for Palus-Kadegaon

Mumbai: The BJP has withdrawn its candidate in the Palus-Kadegaon Assembly constituency, making way for the unopposed election of Congress’ Vishwajeet Kadam.

The Shiv Sena, NCP and other parties are supporting Mr Kadam. Possibly, judging that its chances of winning appear bleak, the BJP withdrew its candidate, Sangramsingh Deshmukh, to save itself from embarrassment.

The Congress fielded Vishwajeet Kadam, son of late Patangrao Kadam, who held the Palus-Kadegaon Assembly seat at the time of his death in March. The BJP earlier decided to pit Sangramsingh Deshmukh against Vishwajeet Kadam, Sangramsingh Deshmukh being the president of the Sangli zilla parishad. His father, Sampatrao Deshmukh, had defeated late Patangrao Kadam in the 1995 Assembly elections. The BJP leadership
was hoping that Sangramsingh Deshmukh would follow in his father’s footsteps in a repeat of the 1995 elections however, the Sena and another strong party, Raju Shetti’s Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS), declared their support to Vishwajeet Kadam as a tribute to late Patangrao Kadam. This forced the BJP to rethink its decision of contesting the election.

Sources informed that revenue minister Chandrakant Patil held discussions with Sangramsingh Deshmukh and other local leaders before arriving at the decision of withdrawing candidature. With Sangramsingh Deshmukh withdrawing his nomination on Monday, Congress’ Vishwajeet Kadam, in all probability, will be elected unopposed.

Maharashtra is seeing elections to one Assembly and two Lok Sabha seats of which the Assembly seat will now be elected, unopposed. There will be a bypoll in two Lok Sabha constituencies on May 28.

Meanwhile, the BJP will contest both byelections. It is fielding Rajendra Gavit in the Palghar constituency and Hemant Patale in the Bhandara-Gondia constituency.