Maharashtra Assembly Elections: Ramesh Bagwe Hints At Rebellion If Denied Congress Ticket For Pune Cantonment Seat
PUNE: With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) yet to finalize its candidate for the Pune Cantonment assembly constituency, former Minister of State Ramesh Bagwe and his son, Avinash Bagwe, are signaling potential rebellion within the Congress if Ramesh Bagwe is not chosen as the party’s candidate for the upcoming assembly elections.
Amid speculation about the BJP replacing some sitting MLAs in Pune, Ramesh Bagwe is facing difficulties in securing the Congress ticket. Months ago, Bagwe traveled to Delhi to raise concerns about being sidelined by local leaders, with the Congress promoting another candidate, Avinash Salwe, instead. This shift in party strategy has fueled speculation about Bagwe’s next move.
Addressing these rumors, Avinash Bagwe emphasized their loyalty to Congress, stating, “We are committed to seeking a ticket from the Congress party and plan to contest only through the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). We hope for an announcement by tonight or tomorrow. If needed, we will contest as independents but not with any other party.”
The BJP, which announced candidates for Kothrud, Parvati, and Shivajinagar constituencies on Sunday, has yet to finalize candidates for Khadakwasla, Pune Cantonment, and Kasba Peth. Internal surveys for the Pune Cantonment seat reportedly yielded unfavorable results for sitting MLA Sunil Kamble, with strong indications that Congress remains the voter preference in this constituency, as seen during the Lok Sabha elections.
Meanwhile, Ramesh Bagwe has accused both Congress members and BJP leaders of spreading rumors to undermine his position. A senior BJP leader, speaking anonymously, admitted concerns about retaining the Pune Cantonment seat and suggested that a candidate change may be considered. However, BJP lacks a strong contender within its ranks and is also facing competition from alliance partner, the Republican Party of India (RPI), which is staking a claim to the seat.
With the official candidate announcements still pending, speculation continues to swirl around both the BJP’s and Bagwe’s next moves. Bagwe’s struggle to secure a ticket and his potential rebellion could significantly impact the upcoming election dynamics in the Pune Cantonment constituency.