Earlier this month, Chandrakant Patil was replaced as the guardian minister of Pune, and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar assumed the role. Patil had refrained from commenting on this change until yesterday. However, while addressing a meeting of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in Dhayari on Friday, Patil finally broke his silence.
"Relinquishing the post of guardian minister is a minor compromise for a greater mission," the Minister of Higher and Technical Education remarked, adding, "Several BJP leaders and workers expressed their dissatisfaction when I stepped down as the district guardian minister. I urge you not to be disheartened."
Patil went on to describe his actions as a "sacrifice" to help re-elect Narendra Modi as Prime Minister. "I have given up the position of guardian minister to ensure that 45 out of the 48 MPs in our alliance are elected from Maharashtra. This will result in Narendra Modi becoming Prime Minister again. Therefore, everyone should honour the decision of the senior leadership," stated the Kothrud MLA to the BJP workers.
Discussing the Baramati Lok Sabha seat, Patil expressed confidence that his party would secure victory. "We now have a chance to win the Baramati Lok Sabha seat. If we fail to win this time, it is unlikely that we will win it in the future," he said, instructing BJP office-bearers to put aside differences and disputes with the NCP and start preparations for the upcoming elections.
Chandrashekhar Bawankule, BJP state unit president, visited the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency and noted that the candidate would be decided later. He emphasised that regardless of the candidate, all efforts would be made to secure the seat, even if the candidate is from Ajit Pawar's NCP faction.
Baramati is considered a stronghold of the Pawar family, with Sharad Pawar's daughter, Supriya Sule, currently serving as the MP from the seat.
