Will it be a hat trick for BJP or a miracle for MVA in Pune?

Pune: The BJP is on a hat trick in the Pune Lok Sabha constituency. There are four BJP MLAs and an NCP (AP) MLA out of the six assembly seats in the city. So, it should be a cakewalk for the Maha Yuti candidate and BJP leader Murlidhar Mohol.

However, the MVA candidate and former Congress corporator Ravindra Dhangekar trounced BJP’s Hemant Rasane in the assembly bypoll. Therefore, the Congress is hopeful of making it in the Lok Sabha poll too. If the Congress is able to put a united fight curbing factionalism, a miracle may be possible. It is going to be a direct contest between BJP’s Murlidhar Mohol and Congressman Ravindra Dhangekar.

The last LS election

Let us take a look at the votes received by the major candidates in the LS poll in 2019. BJP’s Girish Bapat got the highest number of votes (6,32,835). His nearest rival and Congress candidate Mohan Joshi got 3,08,207 votes while VBA’s Anil Jadhav polled 64,793 votes. Bapat won by a margin of 3,24,628 votes.

Past four elections

The past four elections were held in 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2019. The Congress won in 2004 and 2009 while the BJP won in 2014 and 2019.

Current scenario

*Murlidhar Mohol is the BJP candidate

*The saffron party is holding meetings in every assembly seat

*The MVA candidate is Ravindra Dhangekar

*Both the parties have a challenge of curbing bickering in their respective party

*The Congress wants to repeat the Kasba Peth bypoll victory while the BJP is moving cautiously

Issues in the hustings

*Pune Metro work is progressing slowly

*The proposed international airport plan is on paper

*A lack of basic facilities in the city

*Water supply and environment conservation

*Votes from the Maratha, Muslim and OBC communities will be decisive