Akshay Kardile (Express photo). Akshay Kardile of the BJP won the Rahuri Assembly bypoll in Maharashtra Monday by a margin of 27,386 votes against his nearest rival, Govind Mokate of the NCP (SP). Kardile maintained his lead from the first round, including ballot votes. By the end of the 27th and last round, Kardile secured 1,39,0212 votes, while Mokate got 1,11,826 votes. The contest featured seven candidates, including a nominee from the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), who managed approximately 5,000 votes by the 19th round. The bypoll was necessitated by the passing of veteran BJP MLA Shivaji Kardile last year. The BJP fielded his son Akshay Kardile to retain the seat. The Rahuri constituency, located in Ahilyanagar district, has long been a stronghold for the Kardile family. Akshay Kardile, who is set to be sworn in as an MLA for the first time, said, “This election was fought by the common people. It was an expression of the public’s affection for the late Shivaji Kardile.…