Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in Maharashtra's Maval assembly constituency have recently threatened to revolt against the saffron party's state leadership if NCP-Ajit MLA Sunil Shelke is given the ticket to contest in the upcoming assembly polls. They also passed a resolution in a meeting on Friday to not work for Shelke if the ruling Mahayuti alliance gave him the ticket.
Former state minister Bala Bhagade cited the example of Sangli and said that the candidate chosen to contest from a particular assembly seat is extremely important. In Sangli, Congress' Vishal Patil fought as an Independent candidate after the Maha Vikas Aghadi gave his ticket to the Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate. Patil won from the Sangli seat in the Lok Sabha elections.
"The voters of Sangli have opened the eyes of everyone in Maharashtra. They have sent a clear message as to what happens if the candidate of their choice is not given the ticket," Bhagade told The Times of India. He added that Maval has been a BJP stronghold for years, with the likes of Rambhau Mhalgi getting elected from the same constituency on a Jan Sangh ticket in 1957.
BJP workers are opposing Shelke because he switched to the undivided NCP before the 2019 assembly elections. In July 2023, he joined the NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar when the latter switched over to the BJP-led NDA camp and became the Deputy Chief Minister in the Eknath Shinde-led government.
While addressing party workers, Ravindra Bhagade, BJP's campaigning chief for the assembly constituency, alleged that Sunil Shelke is trying to finish the saffron party in the constituency.
"The party workers in Maval had to shut down their business because of him (Sunil Shelke). He is also the same person who is trying to finish BJP here. Do we need such a leader and make him an MLA again?" he said. Meanwhile, Shelke said that he has raised this issue with the BJP leadership in the state.
The NCP-Ajit MLA added that the BJP assured him that the party is behind him and the workers will also campaign for him in the assembly polls. A senior NCP official, however, told the daily that it was decided among the Mahayuti leaders that tickets of those leaders who won in the 2019 state elections would be repeated this time around as well.
In March this year, NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar accused Shelke of threatening NCP (SP) workers and supporters. Shelke reportedly threatened people against attending Pawar's rally in Lonavala.
After this, Pawar said at his rally: "If you threaten my people, then remember... I am called 'Sharad Pawar'. I never traverse such a route... but if someone creates a bad situation then I will not spare them." He also reminded Shelke of the time he came and addressed his election rally during the 2019 state polls.