Mumbai: In an eleventh hour decision, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) replaced its party candidate in Jalgaon, Smita Wagh, with Unmesh Patil. Wagh is a sitting member of the legislative council and a known supporter of former minister Eknath Khadse. However, her replacement, Patil, is the sitting legislator from Chalisgaon.
“I have diligently worked for the party for the last 40 years. Despite filling the AB form, a candidate (Patil) who joined the party barely four years ago has been given a ticket instead of me. This is akin to cold-blooded murder,” said a disappointed Wagh. However, she said, she would campaign for the newly announced candidate.
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BJP insiders refuted speculation that Wagh was replaced to cause a setback to Khadse. They claimed the party was not happy with Uday Wagh, Smita’s husband, as it has received several complaints about him. Uday is president of the party’s district unit and a member of the Jalgaon Zilla Parishad.
The choice of Patil is seen as a bid to quell factionalism within the party’s Jalgaon unit. He is said to have been picked by BJP minister Girish Mahajan, who calls the shots in Jalgaon district. Now, Patil will take on the NCP candidate Gulabrao Deokar, a former minister of state who was arrested twice, in 2012 and in 2013, in connection with the multi-crore Gharkul housing society scam. The 40-year-old Patil, a first-time MLA, filed his nomination papers on Thursday.
