Differences surface between Mahayuti allies in Latur bank poll

MUMBAI: While differences have been simmering between ruling parties over the legislative council elections, fresh discord has surfaced between two Mahayuti constituents, this time in the Latur District Cooperative Central Bank election

MUMBAI: While differences have been simmering between ruling parties over the legislative council elections, fresh discord has surfaced between two Mahayuti constituents, this time in the Latur District Cooperative Central Bank election. The election is scheduled for November 15, with 999 voters choosing 19 representatives.

State cooperation minister and NCP leader Babasaheb Patil has blatantly teamed up with Congress leader and former MLA Dhiraj Deshmukh to contest the bank election. This has drawn sharp criticism from the BJP, which has taken up the issue with NCP chief Sunetra Pawar. The BJP leaders have demanded action against the minister.

Latur BJP leader and former minister Sambhaji Patil Nilangekar alleged that Babasaheb Patil has forged an alliance with Congress leader and former MLA, Dhiraj Deshmukh, who is also the bank’s chairperson. Nilangekar also said the minister and Dhiraj attended the filing of nomination of Avinash Jadhav Patil, brother of the cooperation minister.

Nilangaekar said he would take the matter to the BJP leadership. “Joining hands with the Congress is unethical. The minister has been misusing his position as the cooperation minister. He has threatened to disqualify our nominations. If the minister wants to go with the Congress, he should resign from the cabinet,” he said.

He maintained there had been no discussion among Mahayuti constituents about contesting the bank election jointly.

However, former Latur MLA and bank chairperson Dhiraj Deshmukh, son of former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, defended the partnership. “Babasaheb Patil is our colleague as a director in the bank. He has always praised our performance in the bank. He would support and patronise the panel led by him,” said Deshmukh.

Nilangekar, however, accused the cooperation minister of misusing his position to threaten the disqualification of nomination papers and alleged that his association with the Congress was unethical. “Babasaheb Patil is preparing to contest the 2029 Assembly election as a Congress candidate and this is no secret,” he said.

The development comes amid growing friction among Mahayuti partners in several local elections. The Shiv Sena led by deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde has backed Sachin Sanap against the BJP’s official candidate Kaustubh Gawade in the Pune teachers’ constituency. The ruling parties are also pitted against one another, directly or through tacit support to rebels, in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Amravati graduate and teachers’ constituencies.

Relations between the BJP and Sena have also deteriorated over the Purnekar murder case in Thane.

The Latur bank election is expected to add to the strain, with the BJP’s state leadership conveying its displeasure to Shinde and seeking action against Babasaheb Patil.