Bickering in Pimpri-Chinchwad unit of BJP out in the open, three names recommended to State leadership ignoring other aspirants
Pimpri: A meeting of office-bearers of the BJP was held to know their views about the candidate to be fielded from the upcoming State Assembly poll. However, aspirants were not entertained at the meeting.
Aspirants alleged that they were not called for the meeting as City Unit President Shankar Jagtap wanted to show to the party observers that there was no opposition to his name. This has exposed bickering within the party in the twin town.
The meeting was conducted in the presence of senior BJP leader Pradipsinh Jadeja in Kalewadi on Tuesday. Former MLA Jagdish Mulik was the observer at the meeting. It was expected that leaders from the Chinchwad Assembly segment and members of the State Executive from the city should have been invited. However, aspirants such as former corporator Shital Shinde, Chandrakant Nakhate and Shatrughna Kate were not invited.
An intense tug of war is evident within the BJP. A dispute in the household is underway between Shankar Jagtap and Ashwini Jagtap. Former corporators have also expressed their willingness to contest the poll and have opposed the Jagtaps. Shankar Jagtap was not available for comment.
Three names recommended
Names of three aspirants were handed over in a closed envelope to the office-bearers present. Official sources said that Shankar Jagtap has put his name on the top followed by Ashwini Jagtap and then State Assembly poll in-charge Kaluram Barne.
Former corporator Shital Shinde said that he was an office-bearer of the party’s city unit. He is also a former corporator but he was not invited for the meeting. He has complained to the observer about this.
State Unit Executive Council Member Chandrakant Nakhate said that the City Unit President was running the party affairs as though it was his fiefdom. He is working at his whim and fancy. He called his close aides and wrote his name on the paper. Nakhate said that he would complain about this to the State leader.
