BJP tastes first defeat in by-polls in Maharashtra

With the loss of Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha seat today, BJP has suffered defeat in a by-poll in Maharashtra for the first time since it came to power in the state in 2014.

Of the two Lok Sabha seats in the state where by-polls were held, the BJP could retain only Palghar, while the Bhandara-Gondiya seat was won by the NCP. The result reduced the BJP's Lok Sabha tally from Maharashtra to 22.

"This was the second by-poll for Lok Sabha in Maharashtra after the one necessitated by death of Union minister Gopinath Munde in 2014. His daughter Preetam Munde had won that by-poll comfortably," a senior BJP leader said.

"This time the situation was different. We have completed four years in the Centre and people, especially in rural areas, are disappointed over some or other issues. Opposition cashed in on this and the result is BJP's loss in Bhandara-Gondiya," the leader said.

"In fact, we were confident of winning the Bhandara-Gondiya seat and worried about Palghar. But the results were exactly opposite," he said.

Palghar by-election was necessitated due to the death of BJP MP Chintaman Wanaga.

The Shiv Sena threw up a surprise when it fielded Wanaga's son Shrinivas as its candidate, but the BJP's Rajendra Gavit eventually won the seat.

The by-poll in Bhandara-Gondiya was necessitated by disgruntled BJP MP Nana Patole's resignation, who also quit the party.

"There were Assembly by-polls in the state post-2014. The BJP did not lose a single seat. It also won several local body and village-level elections. This is the first major defeat the party has suffered in Maharashtra in four years," said Abhay Deshpande, a veteran journalist.