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Maharashtra: Foes kiss and make up for Bandra East bypoll

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Aditi Pai
Aditi PaiApr 10, 2015 | 21:17

Maharashtra: Foes kiss and make up for Bandra East bypoll

They say there are no permanent friends or enemies in politics. And the saying couldn't ring truer than now. In the high-profile and much watched by-poll in the Vandre East - or Bandra East - constituency in Mumbai, political foes have suddenly kissed and made up. Some have pledged silent support; others have gone all out to stand by their new found friend. After all, it's probably only a case of making friends with your enemy's enemy.

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Less than six months ago, the relationships were quite different. The Shiv Sena and BJP fought each other tooth and nail in this very constituency; the Congress and the NCP didn't go out of their way to support each other either. But with the by-poll being viewed as the most prestigious fight in the state, overtaking even some of the key contests in the actual assembly polls held last year, former opponents have buried their differences to join force. After all, it's being viewed as a direct fight between Uddhav Thackeray and the Shiv Sena's bête noir Narayan Rane. The Congressman is fighting for his seat, and as some say his political survival, from a constituency that houses the Thackeray family home.

Even as Sena MLAs and the party mouthpiece Saamna continue to heap criticism and attacks on the Devendra Fadnavis government, the chief minister made it a point to campaign for the Sena candidate Trupti Sawant criticising the Congress for putting up a candidate against the widow of a popular local leader.

The Congress, NCP and the Samajwadi Party, bitter foes at times, have also come together to put up a united face. The biggest surprise was Sharad Pawar who campaigned for Rane saying that the Congressman's presence in the state assembly was in "public interest". This, coming six months after the Congress and the NCP bitterly fighting each other in the assembly polls, was a highlight of the high pitched campaign.

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Leaving behind his son Farhan Azmi's election against the Congress' Priya Dutt in the Lok Sabha polls, Abu Asim Azmi, too, stepped out to canvas for Rane. Getting the entire Maharashtra Congress top brass into the narrow bylanes of Bandra couldn't have been a cakewalk either. Especially since Rane is known to have publicly opposed the state Congress chief Ashok Chavan. Hours after Chavan was appointed the Maharashtra Congress chief, Rane had openly expressed his displeasure, saying that he would raise his voice against the decision and set a precedent regarding such appointments which were made without consulting other senior leaders. That Chavan came out to campaign for his bitter opponent shows that the Congress is going all out to win the seat.

Besides being a prestige issue for both, Thackeray and Rane and thereby their parties, the seat will have an impact on the politics in the state. For Rane, the election is being viewed as a do-or-die fight. After having lost his stronghold in Konkan to the Sena's Vaibhav Naik, this is a chance for the former minister to resurrect his fading political image. If he wins, Rane will be back in state politics as a force to reckon with. If he loses, his detractors within the Congress will waste no time is sidelining him. It's no secret that Rane doesn't enjoy the support of too many within his own party, perpetually being seen as the "outsider" and criticised for his outbursts against senior party leaders.

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While the Sena's dislike for him is well known, the BJP, too, would prefer to keep the Congressman out of the assembly. Known for his fiery speeches and aggressive stand, he could prove to be an uncomfortable presence in the state assembly for the ruling parties. For now, a weakened opposition works well for the Sena-BJP.

With less than 12 hours to go before the varied voter groups of Bandra East step out to cast their vote, parties across the state's political spectrum are watching this fight unfold with bated breath.

Last updated: April 10, 2015 | 21:17
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