Maharashtra: Rebels emerge victorious in 4 seats, play spoilsport

NAGPUR: While rebels emerged victorious in four seats in Vidarbha, they queered pitch for alliance candidates in at least five seats marring chances of parties’ official nominees.

In a major setback, sitting Congress MLA from Gondia Gopal Agrawal, who switched over to BJP two days before polls, was defeated by a BJP rebel Vinod Agrawal by a margin of 28,000 votes.

“My decision to join BJP just before polls was not right. People have disliked it isolating Congress. I joined BJP for development anticipating BJP-Shiv Sena would come to power,” said Gopal Agarwal.

“I was forced by the people to fight polls. It is a people’s victory,” said the winner Agrawal.

In Ramtek, Shiv Sena ex-MLA Ashish Jaiswal rebelled against BJP’s sitting MLA Mallikarjun Reddy defeating him by 24,000 votes. “Jaiswal ate into both Congress and BJP vote bank. Both the party workers worked for Jaiswal. I did not get any support from senior party leaders,” alleged Udaysingh alias Gajju Yadav, the Congress nominee.

In Bhandara, Shiv Sena rebel and sitting MLA Narendra Bhondekar defeated BJP’s Arvind Bhaladhare by over 23,600 votes. Similarly, in Chandrapur, Kishor Jorgewar, an independent who missed Congress ticket by a whisker, defeated two-time BJP MLA Nana Shyamukle by 72,000 votes.

Even as rebels won in four seats, in Risod (Washim) counting of 8,000 VVPATs was going on where Congress sitting MLA Amit Zanak was leading over party rebel Anantrao Deshmukh by 2,500 votes. Deshmukh polled 60,395 votes.

In Aheri, Congress’s Dipak Atram was defeated by NCP’s Dharmaraobaba Atram of the NCP by 17,000 votes. Both parties contested separately.

Similarly, in Tumsar, BJP rebel marred chances of official candidate Pradeep Padole from where NCP’s Raju Karemore emerged victorious. In Buldhana, BJP rebel Yogendra Gode could not dent into Sena candidate Sanjay Gaikwad votes.

In Washim too, the fight was between BJP and Shiv Sena rebel where BJP’s Lakhan Malik emerged winner. In Arni in Yavatmal, BJP rebel Raju Todsam could not stop party’s victory of Dr Sandeep Dhurve.

In South Nagpur, both BJP and Sena rebels Satish Holay and Kishore Kumeria, respectively, could not stop BJP’s Mohan Mate from winning.

In Tiroda, NCP rebel Dilip Bansod marred victory chances of official candidate Ravikant Bopche who was defeated by BJP’s Vijay Rahangdale, Rebel Bansod polled 33,000 votes. Similarly, in Chimur BJP rebel failed to gain against sitting MLA Bunty Bhangadia.