DNH bypoll Delkar’s wife to contest on Shiv Sena ticket; BJP fields former policeman

Family spokesperson Pankaj Sharma said, “Kalaben Delkar joined the Shiv Sena today and she will contest DNH bypoll. Abhinav will head the team for campaigning and other activities.”

Ending speculations, Kalaben Delkar, wife of late Independent Lok Sabha MP from Dadra Nagar Haveli, Mohan Delkar, has decided to contest by-election in the Union Territory on a Shiv Sena ticket.

The by-election scheduled to be on October 30 was necessitated after seven-time MP Mohan Delkar allegedly died by suicide in a Mumbai hotel in February this year.

On Thursday, Kalaben,50, and son Abhinav joined the Shiv Sena along with their supporters in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray at his official residence, Varsha.

“Kalaben Delkar will be Shiv Sena candidate for the forthcoming Dadra Nagar Haveli by-election,” Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said.

Last month, The Indian Express had reported that the family was approached by the BJP, NCP and Shiv Sena ahead of the bypoll. On Thursday, after a meeting of Delkar family members and supporters, it was decided that Kalaben would contest the elections, and not Abhinav.

Family spokesperson Pankaj Sharma said, “Kalaben Delkar joined the Shiv Sena today and she will contest DNH bypoll. Abhinav will head the team for campaigning and other activities.”

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded former police sub-inspector of Indian Reserve Battalion, Mahesh Gavit (44), for the seat. Two-time MP Natubhai Patel was also in the race for candidature. The last date for filing nominations is Friday.

Noting that the party has entrusted a big responsibility on him, Gavit said, “I will work hard and become successful by winning the seat for the BJP.”

“I wanted to make a career in politics but due to the family responsibilities, I joined the police service in 1999 and worked for 14 years. I resigned in 2014 to fulfil my dreams in politics,” he added.
Gavit, who worked with Mohan Delkar when the latter was with the Congress, said, “With his support, I got a chance to contest the election from Kavcha seat in DNH district panchayat election and got elected in 2015. I was made the vice-president of DNH district panchayat and successfully completed the term till 2020. I had differences with Mohan Delkar and left the party in 2020 and joined the BJP.”

Delkar was found hanging in a private hotel in Mumbai on February 22. On March 9, on the basis of the note left behind by Delkar and after recording Abhinav’s statement, a case was registered against BJP leader Praful Patel, District Magistrate (DM) Sandeep Singh, superintendent of police (SP) Sharad Darade, deputy DM Apurva Sharma, Sub-divisional officer Manasvi Jain, police inspector Manoj Patel, DNH law secretary Rohit Yadav, BJP leader Fatehsinh Chauhan and a man called Dilip Patel (Talathi) at Marine Drive police station in Mumbai. The case is under investigation by the Mumbai police.

Last week, on the Election Commission’s directive, the DNH administration transferred Collector Sandeep Singh to the Department of Personnel and Training, New Delhi, and Resident Deputy Collector cum Sub-Divisional Magistrate of DNH Apurva Sharma as Deputy Collector (headquarter) Daman. Both of them are among the accused in the case.

After the death of Delkar, Abhinav started a campaign across DNH to remove administrator Praful Patel who is the prime accused in the FIR.

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