Palghar bypoll: No major party withdraws candidature

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No major party pulled out of the Palghar Lok Sabha bypoll fray on the last day of withdrawal of candidature yesterday. This means it will be a four-way fight with the Shiv Sena, BJP, Congress and local outfit Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) trying to make a cut in a contest that is very crucial for the BJP, because every contestant wants to beat it. The Sena has taken a lead in this by breaking the alliance with BJP and getting the son of a late BJP MP to contest.

Things have become even interesting because BJP has ignored Sena's barter offer. Uddhav Thackeray had asked the BJP to pull out in exchange of support in Gondia-Bhandara bypoll. Polling will be held on May 28.

The Congress and BVA, who had an alliance in 2014, chose to go separately. Congress has fielded former MP Damu Shingda and BVA has fielded its former MP, Baliram Jadhav. BJP has imported a candidate, Rajendra Gavit, from the Congress, while Sena has fielded the son of late BJP MP Chintamani Wanga. Sena's poaching is seen as a masterstroke that will further dent relations between the ruling partners.

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