IN A SETBACK to the Shiv Sena, the panel led by union Minister Narayan Rane swept the Sindhudurg District Central Copoperative Bank elections on Friday. Of the 19 seats going to polls, BJP won 11 and Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition eight. Incumbent bank chairperson Satish Sawant and vice-chairman Suresh Dalvi of the Sena faced defeat in the polls.
However, in an embarassment to the BJP, its district chief Rajan Teli lost his seat and went on to resign from the post. Rane, who returned to Delhi from Sindhudurg on Friday, told mediapersons, “People have reposed faith in us. It is victory of the people.
The police was misused by the ruling parties but people have shown them their place.”
Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, Devendra Fadnavis, said, “The BJP got a thumping victory in the polls. The credit goes to Rane and all party leaders and workers… The state government misused its administrative machinery and the police to stall BJP. Yet, it had to face a defeat. It shows that people are with BJP.”
The five-year term of the bank, which was under Rane’s control between 2008 and 2015, had ended in May 2020. However, due to the pandemic and lockdown, the elections were put on hold.
Soon after the results were declared, BJP workers in Sindhudurg and Mumbai began celebrations. BJP put up posters of the minister’s son,
BJP MLA Nitesh Rane, which read — “We have buried them. How does it feel now… cool?”
Soon after, Sena also put up posters of Nitesh across Sindhudurg and Mumbai. They read — “He is short, eyes like Chinese and dumb. He is missing. If you find him you will get one hen for free.” The posters assume significance as only on Thursday, the Sindhudurg district special judge had rejected the anticipatory bail plea filed by Nitesh in connection with an attempt to murder case. Narayan Rane has so far not responded to summons issued to him by Kankavli police in Sindhudurg — which has registered the case against the MLA — asking the minister to appear before it and also provide the whereabouts of his son.
Also, in the 2019 state polls, Sena had fielded Sawant against Nitesh but he lost.