MUMBAI, June 5: After its unexpected victory in the mid-term polls, the Congress today did well to retain eight out of the 10 seats of Assembly elections held on Wednesday. However, the Congress received a jolt as the Bharatiya Janata Party wrested the prestigious Satara seat from it in a straight contest while Shiv Sena also got one seat from the Congress.The Congress retained Dahanu, Biloli, Singnapur (according to late night reports, recounting has been ordered in this constituency), Kannada and Mulshi. It came strongin BJP strong-hold Akkalkot and wrested Ramtek out of the Independent's hand but lost Satara to the BJP and Kagal to Shiv Sena.While the Congress had contested all the 10 seats, the BJP had fielded candidates in four constituencies while its alliance partner Shiv Sena in six.
In Rahuri, though the Congress has claimed that it has won the seat by four votes, the result is yet to be officially declared as the BJP has demanded recounting. Even otherwise the result is unlikely to be declaredas under the election rules, if the difference of margin is less then one per cent, the returning officer requires the permission of the Election Commission to declare the result.
Following the results, the Congress has once again emerged as the single largest party with a membership of 78, followed by Shiv Sena (75), BJP (66) and independents (44).
In the keenly contested election for the Satara seat, BJP nominee Udayanraje Bhosale defeated his lone rival Shivendrasinh Raje Bhosale by a margin of 8,004 votes. Udayanraje polled 58,972 votes against Shivendrasinh's 50,968 votes. Abhaysinh Raje Bhosale, father of Shivendrasinh, was representing the constituency for a long time. The seat had fallen vacant after his election to the Lok Sabha.
In Dahanu, Congress nominee Krushna Arjun Ghoda was declared elected by a margin of 15,197 votes. Ghoda polled 39,326 votes against 13,832 polled by his Shiv Sena rival Ishwar Dhodi. In the last election, the Congress had won the seat by a margin of over 22,000votes.
In Ramtek, Congress nominee Anandrao Deshmukh defeated Shiv Sena nominee Ashish Jaiswal by a narrow margin of over 6,000 votes. In the last election, Congress had lost the seat to Independent nominee Ashok Gujar by 12,000 votes. Subsequently, Gujar resigned from the Assembly to unsuccessfully contest the Lok Sabha seat from Ramtek.The Congress also retained Biloli seat in Nanded district when its nominee Balwant Chavan defeated BJP nominee Madhavaro Patil by 17,979 votes. In the last election, the Congress had won the seat by 18,000 votes.
In Kannad Assembly constituency, Congress nominee Tejaswini, widow of Raibhan Jadhav, who had represented the constituency, defeated Shiv Sena nominee Subhash Patil by a margin of 20,083 votes. Jadhav polled 45,642 votes as against Patil's 25,559 votes.The Congress wrested the Akkalkot seat from the BJP. Sidharam Mhetre (Congress) defeated BJP nominee Mahananda Tanwade by 2,828 votes. In the last election, the Congress had lost the seat by 5,000 votes, while inMulshi, Congress nominee Vithal Gosavi defeated Shiv Sena's Abaji Dhamale by 21,847 votes.
In Kagal, the Shiv Sena wrested the seat from the Congress. Shiv Sena nominee Sanjay Ghatge defeated Congress nominee Hasan Miyalal Mushrif by 6,766 votes. In the last election, the Congress had won the seat by more than 11,000 votes.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.