Four days after the counting of votes sealed their fate, at least two candidates who lost are still finding it difficult to digest their defeats. Similarly, two candidates who contested as rebels are claiming that their victory was testimony to their popularity among the masses because of the development work they carried out in the area.

NCP rebel Laxman Jagtap won from the Chinchwad constituency, defeating Shrirang Barne of the Shiv Sena while another NCP rebel Vilas Lande won from Bhosari by trouncing Sulbha Ubale of the Shiv Sena. Jagtap won by a margin of 6,000 votes while Lande won by 1,200 votes.

“I just can’t understand how I lost. Till the 17 or 18th round I was leading by 26,000 votes. And by the end of the 26th round, I lost by 6,000 votes,” says Barne.

Stressing that though he secured votes in practically all suburbs, Barne said the votes polled in Gurav Pimple, new and old Sangvi area and Pimple Saudagar proved decisive in the end. “It was only after the counting in Gurav Pimple, Sangvi and Pimple Saudagar that my massive margin began to slide and ultimately I lost.” All this means, says Barne, that the victory was decided only by votes polled by people in two-three suburbs. “The result means Jagtap is MLA for Sangvi and Gurav Pimple area,” says Barne.

Jagtap’s supporters Prashant Shitole and Rajendra Rajapure acknowledge that their candidate received massive number of votes, especially in Gurav Pimple and Sangvi area. “Out of 54,000 votes polled in these areas, Jagtap notched up nearly 90 per cent. Similarly, in Thergaon and Kalewadi, the strongholds of Barne, he received a good number of votes,” said Rajapure.

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