By Tejas
Pune, October 29, 2024: The BJP recently announced its first list of candidates for the upcoming assembly elections, confirming Minister Chandrakant Dada Patil’s candidacy from Pune’s Kothrud constituency. The decision, however, sparked unrest among some party members who were hopeful for the nomination, including former BJP corporator Amol Balwadkar, who had staged a grand rally in Pune’s Balewadi area to pitch his own candidacy for the Kothrud seat.
Balwadkar, a prominent figure in Pune’s BJP circles, expressed disappointment with Patil’s selection and announced his intent to contest independently from Kothrud, challenging Patil’s candidacy. The potential rift caught the attention of party leadership, with state BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule personally visiting Balwadkar to persuade him to retract his independent bid.
A day later, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis also intervened, urging Balwadkar to support Patil and maintain party unity. With these high-level efforts, Balwadkar agreed to withdraw his challenge, signalling a temporary resolution to internal frictions within the Kothrud BJP ranks.
This isn’t the first time Patil’s nomination has stirred opposition from party ranks. In 2019, the BJP’s decision to field Patil from Kothrud instead of then-sitting MLA Medha Kulkarni led to local resistance. Although many voiced their objections, including Kulkarni herself, the party was able to unify support for Patil before the election. Patil then went on to win the seat with a 25,495-vote lead over MNS candidate Kishor Shinde. To assuage lingering discontent, the BJP later nominated Kulkarni to the Rajya Sabha and offered Lok Sabha candidacy to Murlidhar Mohol, another strong leader from Kothrud.
This year, both the Shiv Sena (UBT faction) and the MNS have entered the fray, nominating candidates to challenge Patil from Kothrud. The Shiv Sena has fielded Chandrakant Mokate, while the MNS has once again chosen Kishor Shinde as their candidate. As Patil’s candidacy officially kicks off, BJP leaders are working to ensure all internal issues are resolved, aiming to secure another victory in the party’s stronghold in Kothrud.
