Mumbai: Though the byelections for the two Lok Sabha constituencies in the state have not yet been announced by the Election Commission (EC), sources claimed that the Congress would contest both the seats of Palghar and Bhandara- Gondia with the NCP’s support.
In 2014, the NCP contested the Bhandara-Gondia seat but with sitting MP Nana Patole having joined the Congress recently, party insiders claim that it will not contest the seat. As for Palghar, it goes to the polls as BJP MP Chintaman Vanaga recently passed away in Delhi.
After resounding defeats for the BJP in Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur and Phulpur bypolls, the buzz surrounding the by elections in the state has heightened. There are talks of an alliance between the Congress and the NCP as leaders of both parties have indicated that they would fight the 2019 general as well as Assembly indicated that they would fight the 2019 general as well as Assembly elections hand in hand and would take smaller parties on board. Hence, the coming elections to the 21 Legislative Council and the two Lok Sabha seats has assumed great siginificance.
In 2014, the Congress had fought the Palghar constituency and the NCP had contested Bhandara-Gondia. But this time around, Congress is set to claim Bhandara-Gondia also as its sitting MP has joined the party now. At the same time, NCP sources have indicated that senior leader and former minister Praful Patel, who had represented the constituency in 2009, is not eager to contest the election as of now.
“Praful has made it clear to our leadership that he is not keen to contest by poll. So it is possible that the NCP would support the Congress in Bhandara. Palghar is already with the Congress and so it is clear that party will contest there,” said senior NCP leader, who is participating in alliance talks with Congress.
In Palghar, Hitendra Thakur’s local party, the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi, is the main contender. It had won the elections in 2009. “The BVA must be with us if Congress wants to win the election here,” the NCP leader said.
