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Jagtap joins BJP; Purandar airport project may get a push
With both Jagtap and sitting MLA Vijay Shivtare now part of the Mahayuti alliance, officials believe the state government will have a smoother path in pushing the long-delayed infrastructure project.
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Pune: Senior Congress leader from Pune district and former MLA Sanjay Jagtap’s decision to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday is likely to ease the process of land acquisition for the proposed Purandar airport.
With both Jagtap and sitting MLA Vijay Shivtare now part of the Mahayuti alliance, officials believe the state government will have a smoother path in pushing the long-delayed infrastructure project.
Purandar assembly constituency has long seen a political rivalry between Jagtap and Shivtare. While Shivtare, of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, is a vocal proponent of the airport project, Jagtap had led the farmers’ opposition to land acquisition during his tenure as Congress MLA and under the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. Jagtap had even proposed shifting the airport project to an alternative site, and discussions to that effect were held.
However, when Devendra Fadnavis was deputy chief minister under the Mahayuti government led by Shinde, he remained firm on executing the airport project on the originally identified site in Purandar taluka. Shivtare, too, has consistently backed the airport plan and advocated for its speedy implementation.
Jagtap officially joined the BJP in the presence of state BJP president Ravindra Chavan at a rally held at Palkhi Maidan in Saswad on Wednesday. “I have joined the BJP and will work towards the development of the region,” he said.
With both key political leaders from the region now aligned with the ruling alliance, administrative officials say it will likely accelerate land acquisition. “Earlier, if one leader supported the acquisition, the other would back the protesting farmers, which stalled the process,” said a senior revenue officer on condition of anonymity.
The Purandar airport, proposed as Pune’s second international airport, has faced delays for years due to protests and political disagreements over land acquisition. The renewed alignment of local leadership is expected to break the deadlock.
