Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders of Mahayuti alliance are at loggerheads over the Wadgaonsheri assembly seat. The friction stems from the ongoing competition between sitting NCP MLA Sunil Tingre and BJP’s Jagdish Mulik, who is eager to contest the upcoming assembly elections from the constituency.
The latest trigger was not carrying BJP leaders’ photos on flexes put up by NCP leaders at Wadgaonsheri on Monday when deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar visited the constituency to inaugurate GST Bhavan at Yerawada and announce other projects worth ₹306 crore.
“The NCP seems to have forgotten to include photographs of BJP leaders on banners and flexes put up at the programme,” said Mulik.
Pune district guardian minister Pawar intervened and tried to defuse the situation.
Mulik said, “While BJP and Shiv Sena adhere to Mahayuti alliance protocols, the sitting NCP MLA clearly does not. As it is a government programme, images of chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis should have been featured in banners and flexes.”
Pawar said, “These were merely foundation stone laying programmes. For the inauguration of these projects, all leaders, including the chief minister and deputy chief ministers, will be invited. We have agreed to remain present only at events related to our respective ministries.”
{{/usCountry}}Pawar said, “These were merely foundation stone laying programmes. For the inauguration of these projects, all leaders, including the chief minister and deputy chief ministers, will be invited. We have agreed to remain present only at events related to our respective ministries.”
{{/usCountry}}Tingre said, “While it was a government event, we as party workers put up flexes at some places. At no point we intend to disrespect leaders of Mahayuti.”