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Following requests by leaders across the political spectrum, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday withdrew its candidate, Murji Patel, from the Andheri (East) bypoll, clearing the way for Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena’s Rutuja Latke to win unopposed.
“I would like to thank all party leaders and workers for supporting me. I will work for the welfare of the public,” Rutuja said.
The Andheri (East) Assembly seat fell vacant after Sena MLA Ramesh Latke, Rutuja’s husband, suffered a heart attack and died in May this year. The by-election to the seat will be held on November 3.
On Sunday, Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray wrote to Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis requesting the BJP not to contest the bypoll. Responding to his letter, Fadnavis had said that he cannot take the decision alone and that the matter needs to be discussed at the senior level in the party.
MLA Pratap Sarnaik of the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde had also written to the Chief Minister, requesting him to not contest the bypoll against Rutuja. In a similar vein, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar had said it didn’t make any sense to hold the bypoll considering the tenure left on the seat is only for one-and-a-half years. “It is better to let Rutuja (Latke) win unopposed. Contesting an election for the sake of 1.5 years is meaningless. It takes a heavy toll on all the candidates who contest assembly elections. It is better to avoid it this time,” said Pawar.
“I would like to thank all party leaders and workers for supporting me. I will work for the welfare of the public,” Rutuja said.
The Andheri (East) Assembly seat fell vacant after Sena MLA Ramesh Latke, Rutuja’s husband, suffered a heart attack and died in May this year. The by-election to the seat will be held on November 3.
On Sunday, Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray wrote to Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis requesting the BJP not to contest the bypoll. Responding to his letter, Fadnavis had said that he cannot take the decision alone and that the matter needs to be discussed at the senior level in the party.
MLA Pratap Sarnaik of the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde had also written to the Chief Minister, requesting him to not contest the bypoll against Rutuja. In a similar vein, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar had said it didn’t make any sense to hold the bypoll considering the tenure left on the seat is only for one-and-a-half years. “It is better to let Rutuja (Latke) win unopposed. Contesting an election for the sake of 1.5 years is meaningless. It takes a heavy toll on all the candidates who contest assembly elections. It is better to avoid it this time,” said Pawar.