Maha Assembly polls: Fissures surface after BJP releases first list

Mumbai: Fissures have surfaced in the BJP after the announcement of the first list of 99 candidates for the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections, scheduled to be held on November 20.

A day after the nomination of Pratibha Pachpute, the wife of former minister and sitting legislator Babanrao Pachpute from Shrigonda constituency in Ahilyanagar district, BJP leader Suvarna Pachpute on Monday not only expressed displeasure over the party’s decision but warned of rebellion.

Suvarna Pachpute has rushed to meet Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai to argue her case.

Pratibha Pachpute was selected due to her husband’s health issues. Incidentally, both Babanrao and his wife Pratibha were making a strong case for getting the party's nomination to their son Vikram Pachpute. However, the BJP preferred Pratibha and fielded her from the Shrigonda seat.

Suvarna Pachpute, who has been the party’s active worker from the Shrigonda and the adjoining areas, became unhappy with the party’s decision to give preference to Pratibha Pachpute whose husband had joined the party in 2019 and became the legislator. Suvarna removed the party symbol and photos of party leaders from her office. "I will contest as an Independent to show my strength," she warned.

She, however, hoped that Dy CM Fadnavis would intervene and give her justice.

Similarly, in the Parvati constituency from the Pune district, party leader Shrinath Bhimale expressed displeasure over the renomination of sitting legislator Madhuri Misal. In Kothrud also, the party leader Amol Balwadkar is unhappy after the party again nominated higher and technical education Chandrakant Patil from Kothrud constituency from Pune districts. Both Bhimale and Balwadkar have separately announced that they will soon clarify their stand on whether or not to contest as Independent or on the symbol of some other party.

In Nashik West constituency, the party leader and an aspirant Dinkar Patil has expressed his displeasure over the re-nomination of sitting legislator Seema Hire.

Interestingly, the party has successfully brokered a deal between the sitting legislator Ashwini Jagtap (wife of former legislator Laxman Jagtap) from the Pimpri-Chinchwad constituency and her brother-in-law Shankar Jagtap. The party, thereafter, nominated Shankar Jagtap from the Pimpri-Chinchwad seat.

Meanwhile, the BJP has renominated most of the sitting legislators and old guards to avoid rebellion and discomfort within the party organisation. However, it has kept 18 sitting legislators on waiting -- Sunil Rane (Borivali), Parag Shah (Ghatkopar East), Bharati Lavhekar (Versova), Ravisheth Patil (Pen), Devayani Pharande (Nashik Central), Prakash Bharsakhale (Akot), Harish Pimpale (Murtijapur), Lakhan Malik (Washim), Dadarao Keche (Arvi), Vikas Kumbhkaran (Nagpur Central), Devraj Holi (Gadchiroli), Sandip Dhurve (Arni), Kumar Ailani (Ulhasnagar), Sunil Kamble (Pune Cantonment), Laxman Pawar (Gevarai) and Ram Satpute (Malshiras), Samidha Avatade (Pandharpur) and Namdeo Sasane (Umarkhed). The party has not yet announced its nominee from the Karanja constituency where its sitting legislator Rajendra Patni died recently.