Andheri bypoll: ‘BJP withdrew from poll as they feared defeat’

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) workers celebrate after Rutuja Latke’s victory, at Andheri on Sunday. Pic/Sameer Markande

Former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena after Rutuja Latke's win in the Andheri Assembly bypoll was declared on Sunday. BJP leader Ashish Shelar, however, claimed that Latke won because of the BJP, and not the Maha Vikas Aghadi, and said that if the BJP had contested the election, her defeat would have been certain.

Talking to media persons, Thackeray said, "Those who froze our election symbol and party name were not even around the election. We won this election with a new symbol and a new party name. This is the victory of Shiv Sainiks and the Congress, NCP, Communist party, Vanchit Aghadi and others who supported us. This is a start with a win. The BJP withdrew from the election as they feared defeat."

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Latke said, "This is the result of sympathy for and hard work done by my husband Ramesh Latke. I will try to fulfil my husband's promises to voters. If the BJP had any sympathy they would not have filled the candidature form for election. They feared defeat."

"If we had contested in the election the result would have been different," said BJP's Murji Patel, who withdrew his candidature from the election. Shelar said, "Had the BJP contested, we would have won. Dozens of parties came together to contest the election but there was not much voter turnout. Also, Latke did not get many votes."