More than Vinod Tawde, Eknath Khadse or Raj Purohit, denial of ticket to Power Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule is most surprising for all, even within and outside the BJP.
For five years, Mr. Bawankule was seen winning the confidence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and even managing cordial relations with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. Never faced with serious corruption allegations, Mr. Bawankule was certain to get party ticket for 2019 polls from Kamtee Assembly segment. He was even seen together with Mr. Fadnavis while the latter filed his nomination on Friday morning.
As the deadline of 3 p.m. was approaching, Mr. Bawankule’s wife restlessly waited for him outside the government office to file the nomination. Ultimately, she filed as an independent and the party’s official ticket was given to Tekchand Savarkar. Bawankules are yet to find out the reason behind denial of the ticket.
