Yogi to campaign in Palghar Lok Sabha bypoll

Not leaving any stone unturned, Maharashtra's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party will deploy Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to campaign for its candidate in the May 28 Palghar Lok Sabha by-elections, a party leader said here on Monday.

Making the bypoll a prestige issue, the BJP has deployed several star campaigners including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, cabinet ministers, its Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari and other senior leaders from the state and outside to campaign for Rajendra Gavit.

On Wednesday evening, Adityanath will address an election rally at Manvelpada Talav and incidentally, BJP's ally Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray is also scheduled to address rallies at Nala Sopara in the Palghar constituency the same day.

The relations between the two allies hit a new low when Shriniwas Vanga, the son of the late BJP MP, Chintaman Wanga, joined the Shiv Sena with his family on May 4, and was later rewarded with the party ticket for the bypolls.

A bitter BJP cried foul over the "hijack" by the Shiv Sena of its prospective candidate. After fuming over the developments, it was later compelled to give nominate a former Congress legislator Gavit, who joined the party (BJP) last fortnight.

Besides Nala Sopara, Thackeray will address two election rallies in Boisar on Friday as the party attempts to wrest the seat earlier held by the BJP strongman Chintaman Vanga, and fell vacant after his sudden death last January.

Apart from Gavit and Vanga, the Congress has put up Damoda Shingda, the CPI-M has nominated Kiran Gahala and Baliram Jadhav is the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi candidate in Palghar, and three independents.

Palghar will vote along with the Lok Sabha by-elections to Bhandra-Gondiya parliamentary constituency which fell vacant after sitting BJP MP Nana Patole resigned and left the party in December 2017.

--IANS

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