High-stakes Palghar, Bhandara-Gondia bypolls today

A lot is at stake for major political parties in the by-elections to the Palghar and Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha constituencies which will take place on Monday.

In Palghar, where the mid-term elections are taking place following the death of BJP's Chintaman Wanga, the party's estranged ally Shiv Sena staged a coup by fielding the late MP's son Srinivas to capture the sympathy vote.

On its part, The BJP poached former Congress minister Rajendra Gavit. The Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) led by Vasai-Virar strongman Hitendra Thakur is also in the fray with the nomination of its ex-MP Baliram Jadhav. Kiran Raja Gahla of the CPI-M, which has a base in Talasari and Dahanu, and former five-term MP Damu Shingada (Congress) are also contesting in a multi-cornered fight from the seat reserved for scheduled tribes (ST).

The BJP has also managed to get the support from former Shiv Sena leader Vivek Pandit, whose Shramjeevi Sanghatana has a base in local tribals and East Indian Catholics.

The constituency encompasses a fast-urbanising area and the extended suburbs of Mumbai like Vasai, Virar, Nalasopara, and Palghar. With a growing urban middle and lower middle-class population and tribal hamlets in the newly-created Palghar district, it stands as a study in contrast due to the visible disparities.

Indicating that his party's relationship with the BJP may be getting worse even as the 2019 Lok Sabha polls approach, Sena president Uddhav Thackeray has been attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The Sena has accused the BJP of distributing cash to voters. During a rally, Uddhav played an audio clip wherein Fadnavis purportedly exhorts party cadre to win the elections "by all means possible." The CM said the audio recording was doctored.

In Bhandara-Gondia, the BJP and NCP have locked horns after the resignation of BJP MP Nana Patole. Patole, a leader of the powerful OBC Kunbi community, had switched side from the Congress to the BJP and was elected as an MP from the constituency in Vidarbha in 2014 by defeating former union minister and NCP heavyweight Praful Patel.

Patole, however, openly took on the BJP leadership and resigned to rejoin the Congress. The NCP, which has allied with the Congress, is contesting the constituency and has fielded former BJP MLA Madhukar Kukde, against the BJP's Hemant Patle, who belongs to the Powar community and is also a former legislator.

Patole's aggressive attacks on the BJP and its leadership have made this into a prestige fight for the BJP and the NCP. The results are due on Thursday.