E-Paper
BJP leaders begin PR game to claim ticket in Pune’s Lok Sabha elections
According to political observers, all aspirants are trying to take ownership of various projects to draw political mileage and to firm up their case for getting ticket
Ahead of Lok Sabha polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) aspirants for ticket from Pune are racing for credit over various ongoing projects and other issues in the city.
In the past few days, BJP leaders including guardian minister Girish Bapat, Pune Member of Parliament in Lok Sabha Anil Shirole and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Kakade met senior leaders in Delhi and raised issues pertaining to various projects. All three leaders are in the race for Pune Lok Sabha seat.
According to political observers, all aspirants are trying to take ownership of various projects to draw political mileage and to firm up their case for getting ticket.
For the last few years, Shirole was pursuing expansion of Lohegaon airport and cantonment issues, though Bapat last week meet Defence Minister Nirmala Sitaraman in Delhi and asked her to shift the cargo facility to complete the extension work of the Lohegaon airport. Bapat also met road transport minister Nitin Gadkari to follow up the Chandani Chowk and National Defence Academy (NDA) land issue for the flyover project.
Bapat also ensured to release press statement from Delhi about his meeting with Defence Minister and Road Transport Minister. Though Shirole was present for this meeting, Bapat’s publicity team ensured not to mention his name or photo in any press release.
Earlier this week, MP Shirole also issued another press statement and said that Defence Ministry had given nod for shifting the cargo facility at Lohegaon Airport and handing over the NDA land for flyover at Chandni Chowk.
Meanwhile MP Kakade also jumped into taking the credit for various issues on Thursday. The Rajya Sabha MP along with Pune Cantonment members met the finance minister Arun Jaitley and requested him to sort out various issues of cantonments as three cantonments are falling in Pune city.
