In a nail-biting finish, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has secured the coveted post of president in the Kamptee municipal council. The party's candidate, Ajay Agrawal, emerged victorious by an extremely narrow margin of just 103 votes, turning a highly contested and acrimonious election into a significant win for the saffron party in the Nagpur district.
A Bitter Campaign and a Dramatic Counting Day
The election for the Kamptee council president was one of the most intensely watched and discussed in the district, marked by sharp verbal exchanges and allegations of malpractice. The political drama began when former MLC Sulekha Kumbhare, who shares a cordial relationship with BJP leaders including Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, fielded candidate Ajay Kadam from her Bahujan Republican Ekta Manch (BREM). She had hoped for support from ally BJP.
However, the BJP, aiming for a direct victory, decided to push its own candidate, Ajay Agrawal, and refused an alliance. This decision led to a souring of relations, with the war of words between Kumbhare and the BJP reaching acerbic levels. Meanwhile, the Congress party, despite internal controversy over ticket allocation that saw some leaders quit, fielded Shakur Nagani as its candidate.
The Final Rounds and Allegations of Suspicion
When vote counting commenced on Sunday, it initially appeared that the Congress strategy was working. Shakur Nagani maintained a lead for a major part of the day, causing anxiety in the BJP camp. However, the tide turned dramatically in the final few rounds of counting. Ajay Agrawal slowly crept up, eventually surpassing Nagani to cross the finish line with the wafer-thin margin of 103 votes.
Following the defeat, the runner-up, Congress' Shakur Nagani, raised allegations of foul play. He stated that despite leading for most of the day, the sudden change in fortunes towards the end seemed suspicious. The narrow loss has intensified the political debate in the region.
Political Implications and a Feather in the Cap
This victory is now seen as a major political achievement for guardian minister and local MLA Chandrashekhar Bawankule, who had publicly vowed to win the Kamptee council president post this year. The win solidifies BJP's influence in the local body.
Analysts suggest the BJP gained due to a split in the Congress vote bank. A candidate who had defected from the Congress after being denied a ticket managed to secure a couple of thousand votes, which ultimately hurt the Congress's tally and benefited the BJP, especially with Sulekha Kumbhare's BREM also in the fray. The result underscores the impact of multi-cornered contests in local politics, where strategic alliances and vote division play decisive roles.
The Kamptee result, achieved by a margin of merely 103 votes, highlights the fiercely competitive nature of grassroots politics in Maharashtra and sets the stage for future political maneuvering in the region.
