Ashwini Jagtap Urges Chandrashekhar Bawankule to Nominate Shankar Jagtap for Chinchwad BJP Candidacy
Ashwini Jagtap Requests Chandrashekhar Bawankule to Nominate Shankar Jagtap for Chinchwad BJP Candidacy
Chinchwad: In a significant development for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, MLA Ashwini Jagtap has formally requested, with her full support, BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule to nominate her brother-in-law, Shankar Jagtap, as the party’s candidate from the Chinchwad constituency.
This request marks the resolution of an internal family dispute within the Jagtap family, which had surfaced following the death of former Chinchwad MLA Laxman Jagtap in 2023. After his passing, a by-election was held where Ashwini Jagtap, his wife, contested and won, securing a significant margin of 36,000 votes against opposition candidate Nana Kate from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
However, there had been ongoing speculation about who would be the BJP candidate for the 2024 elections. Both Ashwini and Shankar Jagtap had shown interest in the candidacy. Ashwini Jagtap’s decision to step back and support Shankar Jagtap for the nomination has now cleared the way for his candidacy, reducing internal tensions within the party.
Shankar Jagtap, currently the president of BJP’s Pimpri-Chinchwad city unit, had earlier been considered for the by-election but was overlooked in favor of Ashwini. He played a key role in her victory, and now, with her endorsement, his candidacy for the Chinchwad seat seems almost certain.
The Chinchwad constituency, a BJP stronghold since its creation, was dominated by the late Laxman Jagtap. His legacy continues to influence the region’s politics, with the Jagtap family holding significant sway. With Ashwini’s backing, Shankar Jagtap is expected to strengthen the party’s position in the upcoming elections.
While the BJP has solidified its candidate selection, the opposition alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has yet to announce its nominee. Nana Kate, a key figure in the previous election, has shifted allegiance to Ajit Pawar’s faction of the NCP, creating uncertainty regarding the MVA’s strategy in Chinchwad.
As Maharashtra prepares for the assembly elections, with voting scheduled for November 20 and counting on November 23, the race for Chinchwad is intensifying. The BJP is keen to retain the seat, and with Ashwini Jagtap’s endorsement of Shankar Jagtap, the party’s path to victory seems more assured.
