Maharashtra Politics: NCP Hits Back At Shiv Sena Minister Bharat Gogawale, Vows To Expose 'Corrupt Past'

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, has launched a scathing counterattack on Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) minister Bharat Gogawale over his recent controversial comments against NCP’s Maharashtra State President and MP Sunil Tatkare.

NCP Chief Spokesperson Anand Paranjpe issued a stern warning, alleging that Gogawale’s “criminal background, corruption, and financial scams” during his tenure as Chairman of the Public Works Committee in the Raigad Zilla Parishad will be publicly exposed within a week.

Calling Gogawale one of the so-called "Three Idiots from Raigad," Paranjpe said, “He has made defamatory and insensitive remarks against Sunil Tatkare, who is currently mourning the tragic death of a family member in the Ahmedabad plane crash. Instead of showing basic human decency, he has resorted to baseless political attacks regarding the Guardian Minister’s post and the irrigation scam.”

Paranjpe challenged Gogawale to come forward with any actual proof if he indeed knows the status of the irrigation scam files. “Don’t make hollow statements—reveal the file if you have it,” he said.

He further alleged that the smear campaign against Tatkare is part of a premeditated political strategy, accusing Gogawale of turning against the very party that shaped his political career. “It was Shiv Sena that gave you an identity—made you ZP Chairman and then MLA. And now, you target Rashmi Thackeray, a dignified, family-oriented woman who doesn’t interfere in political decisions? It’s shameful,” Paranjpe said.

Referring to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he reminded Gogawale that Sunil Tatkare won not due to political gimmicks but because of the work he did on the ground and the principles of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance. “Had Tatkare not upheld the alliance dharma in the Assembly, Gogawale and two others would not have even won,” he added.

Paranjpe concluded by stating that the NCP will not remain silent in the face of such politically motivated slander and promised that the truth about Gogawale’s “corrupt deeds and criminal nature” will be revealed to the public in the coming days.

Published on: Sunday, June 15, 2025, 10:02 PM IST