Koregaon district bank poll: Mahesh Shinde takes 44 votes from 33, NCP wins on draw of lots

The Koregaon society category of the district bank election saw a very close contest between Sunil Khatri and Sunil Mane. Of the 90 votes, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had 57 to 58, so the NCP's victory was widely held to be certain.

BJP MLA Mahesh Shinde had a total of 33 votes. Ranged against him, with an army of workers, were heavyweights including Maha Aghadi senior leader Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) minister Shambhuraj Desai, minister Makarand Patil, MP Nitin Kaka Patil, former MLA Balasaheb Patil and NCP state president Shashikant Shinde. Even so, Mahesh Shinde fought alone. He broke into the rival camp and took his candidate, Sunil Khatri, up to 44 votes. It is being said that Shinde played a role like the one in the Shah Rukh Khan film Baazigar, whose dialogue goes "Haar kar jeetne wale ko baazigar kehte hain".

By breaking a full eleven votes from the rival camp, Mahesh Shinde levelled the contest. The result was decided by a draw of lots, and the NCP, which won by the draw, is now said to need introspection. It is also being said that this election has made clear that in future elections too, Mahesh Shinde will have to face his own people as well as his opponents.

A few days ago, Mahesh Shinde had lost in the Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections in Koregaon taluka. In that election too, everyone else was united against him. His opponents tried the same approach in the District Central Bank election and succeeded. Even so, saying "We are not less than anyone", Shinde fielded his supporter Sunil Khatri for the second time in a bank election, despite having only 33 votes.

Last time, a split in the NCP had taken the result to a draw of lots. The lot in Sunil Khatri's name was drawn then, and Shivajirao Mahadik lost. This time the same situation arose with Sunil Mane, but luck favoured him and he won. Sunil Khatri, whom the draw had favoured last time, was deserted by luck this time.

Last time Sunil Khatri and Shivajirao Mahadik were face to face. Mahesh Shinde was new then and had no experience behind him. Even with a combined strength of 22 to 25 votes, Sunil Khatri reached 45 votes. Rival Shivajirao Mahadik also got as many. Then Khatri benefited from the NCP's split and from luck. This time the party that had helped him in the last election came out against him. So from the start of the election, Khatri feared defeat. Even so, with the backing of a firm leader like Mahesh Shinde, he did not waver.

It became clear that some NCP votes were split in the district bank election. For now, it is being discussed that 2 votes of the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) and 1 of the Congress went to the NCP candidate Sunil Mane. It is also being said that these two votes were decisive for the win.