BJP names candidates for upcoming bypolls in two Assembly seats in Maharashtra's Pune

On Saturday, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party announced its candidates for the upcoming by-elections in the Pimpri Chinchwad and Kasba Peth Assembly constituencies in the Pune district of Maharashtra. The by-elections are slated to take place on February 26 and the results will be announced on March 2, 

The wife of late MLA Laxman Jagtap -- Ashwini Jagtap will be the party candidate from Pimpri Chinchwad while Pune Municipal Corporation's standing committee chairman Hemant Rasane will contest from Kasba Peth assembly seat. Rasane is a three-time corporator of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and was elected in 2002, 2012 and 2017. He is the only corporator in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to hold the post for so long and has received praise for increasing the civic body’s revenue collection. 

The by-elections were necessitated due to the death of sitting BJP MLAs – Mukta Tilak from Kasba Peth and Laxman Jagtap from Pimpri Chinchwad. 

Maharashtra DyCM urges other parties not to contest elections so that BJP candidates are elected unopposed

Taking to Twitter, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, "Wishing all the success to candidates declared by BJP for the by-elections; Hemant Rasane (Kasba Peth Assembly Constituency ) and Ashwini Jagtap (Chinchwad Assembly Constituency)."

In another tweet, he asserted that since these byelections are being held due to the death of sitting legislators, he would appeal to other parties not to contest elections so that BJP candidates are elected unopposed.

Wishing all the success to @BJP4Maharashtra candidates declared by @BJP4India for the by-elections; Shri Hemant Rasane (Kasba Peth Assembly Constituency ) and Smt Ashwini tai Jagtap (Chinchwad Assembly Constituency)!#BJP4Pune https://t.co/GVrPZXrLEy

— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis)

BJP workers burst firecrackers in Pune after Rasane's name was announced by the party. According to sources, Hemant Rasane also performed 'aarti' (Hindu ritual of worship) at the Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati temple in Pune. 

Speaking to media persons, Rasane said, "Senior BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis tried hard for unopposed elections to these seats, but other parties do not appear to be keen. But I assure you that the BJP will win the bypolls with a record margin."

Meanwhile, the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), an alliance of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress, has so far not declared its candidates for the by-elections.