Pune: As the counting of ballots for the Kasba Peth seat concluded, the Bharatiya Janata Party's Hemant Narayan Rasane won with a margin of over 19000 votes. He received 90046 votes and defeated sitting MLA and Congress leader Ravindra Hemraj, who polled 70623 and finished second, and Bhokre Ganesh Somnath of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena finished third with 4894 votes.
The Kasba Peth constituency in Pune, which comprises the old Peth areas in the city like Sadashiv, Narayan, Shaniwar, Shukrawar and Kasba, was a bastion of the BJP until Congress nominee Ravindra Dhangekar won the by-poll held following the demise of MLA Mukta Tilak.
The Congress has once again fielded Dhangekar, the sitting MLA, who had switched over to the grand old party, from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.
Dhangekar, who had a mass break, was able to break the citadel of the BJP in the by-poll and the Congress high command reposed faith in him.
He is pitted against Hemant Narayan Rasne of the BJP, who is banking on the traditional BJP vote bank and the legacy of former Maharashtra minister and BJP MP from Pune Girish Bapat.
This time however the battle is neither easy for Dhangekar nor for Rasne as the Maharashtra Navn Sena has entered the fray and fielded Ganesh Bhokre.
Also, Congress leader Kamal Vyaware travelled from the party and contested the elections as an independent. So the road won't be easy for Dhangekar in a BJP bastion, particularly after the rebel by Kamal Vyaware, who is known as Kamal Tai. Who represents Kasba Peth in the Legislative Assembly will be known only on November 23.
