Trouble is brewing within the Bharatiya Janata Party’s ranks following the election of its co-opted corporators to the civic body.
The rift comes months after the party beat Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to seize control of the crucial Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). Party loyalists allege that the co-opted corporators — Babu Nair and Mauli Thorat — worked against the party in the civic polls held in February this year.
‘Sidelined’
Last week, senior BJP leaders smeared black paint on the posters of MP Amar Sable and leader Sachin Patwardhan for allegedly aiding the two corporators in being elected. They claimed that party loyalists were being sidelined. Co-opted corporators are typically those who are not given a ticket to contest the civic polls and are specially chosen by parties to enter as corporators in the civic body.
The row threatens to break the party’s unity in the PCMC and the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). The civic body comprises many NCP leaders turned renegades.
Mr. Sable, whose effigy was burnt by disgruntled BJP workers, said, “Their nominations were approved by State party chief Raosaheb Danve and the Chief Minister.” BJP MLA Laxman Jagtap, a former NCP leader, was a key figure in BJP’s stunning victory. The defection of former NCP heavyweights like Mahesh Landge, Azam Pansare and Yashwant Bhosale helped the BJP score a massive win in the PCMC, bagging 77 of the 128 seats. The party won just three seats in the 2012 polls.
To approach CM
Mr. Jagtap and Mr. Landge are upset over the choice of co-opted candidates. Sources hint that Mr. Landge may approach Chief Minister Davendra Fadnavis to caution him about the discord brewing within the party.
Last month, followers of Ganesh Ghosh, president of the city’s BJP youth wing, clashed with the followers of senior leader Ganesh Bidkar leading to vandalism and extensive damage to the party’s office in the PMC. Mr. Ghosh and his followers had alleged that Mr. Bidkar secured his nomination as co-opted corporator by paying bribes.
