Kothrud, 22nd August 2024: In yet another constituency in Pune, discord has emerged within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over nominations for the upcoming Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Elections. This time, Minister of Higher & Technical Education Chandrakant Patil is facing challenges from within the party in the Kothrud Constituency. BJP’s former corporator Amol Balwadkar has challenged Patil for the Kothrud seat, showcasing significant support for himself over the past few days. This situation has created a tense situation for Minister Patil as he seeks to avoid disappointments within his own party.
In the last Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections, the then-incumbent MLA from Kothrud, Dr Medha Kulkarni, was not given the ticket. Instead, the then Maharashtra State President of BJP, Chandrakant Patil, was unexpectedly given the chance to contest from the Kothrud Assembly. Patil won the election. Those who wished to contest the elections, including Dr Medha Kulkarni, were redirected: Kulkarni was sent to the Rajya Sabha as an MP, while Murlidhar Mohol was elected as an MP from Pune in the recent elections and has also been appointed as Union Minister of State.
With Mohol and Kulkarni both being members of Parliament, it seemed inevitable that Chandrakant Patil would be nominated by Mahayuti in Kothrud. However, former corporator Amol Balwadkar has challenged this arrangement. Balwadkar has become active in the constituency by opening an office, preparing a chariot to provide information about the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana and other schemes, showcasing his capability and desire to contest the elections from Kothrud. This could lead to discord within the BJP in the upcoming elections.
Deepak Mankar, Pune City President of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), has also expressed a desire to contest the Kothrud Assembly seat in the upcoming elections. This development has made the election, which was expected to be relatively easy for Chandrakant Patil, much more challenging. There is a significant possibility that Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) will contest the Kothrud Assembly seat on behalf of the Mahavikas Aghadi. Preparations are already underway, with former Shiv Sena MLAs Chandrakant Mokate and Prithviraj Sutar involved. Sutar also met with Sharad Pawar a few days ago to discuss the possibility of contesting the elections from Kothrud.
With these preparations from the opposing alliance and demands for a chance to contest the Kothrud Assembly seat not only from his alliance but also within his party, tough times lie ahead for Chandrakant Patil. Patil won his first and only Legislative Assembly election in 2019 as an ‘imported’ candidate in Kothrud, despite hailing from Kolhapur.
Amol Balwadkar, former corporator of the BJP, said, “I am interested in contesting the Legislative Assembly elections from the Kothrud constituency. I have worked faithfully for the party for many years. Candidates with the ability to win will be nominated. The BJP will definitely consider me for this.”