MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP said after the results of the Kasba and Chinchwad bypolls on Thursday that the Pune electorate had rejected the BJP.
Former CM Uddhav Thackeray said the Congress snatched the Kasba seat from the BJP and while it was true that the BJP won Chinchwad, the votes polled by the BJP nominee there were far fewer than the combined votes polled by the NCP and independent candidates. He said the MVA would repeat its victory in future too. "BJP has paid a heavy price for its use-and-throw policy," he said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said Kasba had remained BJP's bastion so far because of the Shiv Sena. "Now every bastion of BJP will be destroyed," he said.
Leader of the opposition Ajit Pawar said MVA had emerged more powerful than before. "It was for the first time that a CM of a state participated in a road show along with the DyCM. BJP used all possible means money and muscle power to win the elections but failed," he said.
Pawar said people did not like the way Shinde and Fadnavis "illegally toppled" an elected government.
MPCC chief Nana Patole said the Kasba outcome was a befitting reply to the BJP, which used money and muscle power on a large scale. "BJP brought in an ailing Girish Bapat, and it was very unfortunate, but it did not help," Patole said.
Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP said the Chinchwad win was an indication of a bigger victory in 2024. He said the consolidation of the opposition went against the party in Kasba.
CM Eknath Shinde of the Shiv Sena said the opposition must not get carried away by just one win. "I thank voters for making Ashwini Jagtap victorious. This is a tribute to the late Laxman Jagtap. In Kasba, we have lost by a thin margin," Shinde said.