Pune: Ajit Pawar Faces Setback As Senior NCP Leaders Join BJP A Day After His Allegations
Pune: Ajit Pawar Faces Setback As Senior NCP Leaders Join BJP A Day After His Allegations
Pimpri, January 3, 2025: Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who recently visited Pimpri-Chinchwad in what was seen as a damage-control exercise, suffered a political setback after senior leaders from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a day after his allegations against the ruling party.
On Friday, Ajit Pawar addressed a press conference and levelled allegations that BJP was pressuring candidates to withdraw from the civic election race. However, the very next day, several former NCP corporators and leaders publicly joined the BJP in the presence of state BJP president Ravindra Chavan, effectively countering Pawar’s claims.
The mass induction took place during the launch of election campaigning at the Bhakti Shakti complex in Nigdi. Those who joined the BJP included former corporators Sushma Tanpure, Rajendra Salunke, Sandeep Chinchwade and Vinod Kamble, along with several social activists and party office-bearers. The induction is expected to significantly strengthen the BJP’s organisational base in Pimpri-Gurav, Sangvi, Navi Sangvi and Pimple Gurav areas, as well as the Chinchwad Assembly constituency.
BJP election in-charge and MLA Shankar Jagtap said Ajit Pawar’s allegations were “baseless and scripted” and had been completely exposed by the voluntary party entry of NCP leaders. “When opponents run out of issues, they resort to false allegations. BJP does not injustice to its loyal workers. We will respond not with accusations, but with our vision of development,” Jagtap said.
He added that BJP’s development-oriented vision and growing organisational strength were gaining public acceptance ahead of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation elections.
