The elections for the newly formed Angar Nagar Panchayat under Mohol taluka of Solapur district have garnered attention for the past few days.
Former Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Rajan Patil single-handedly had dominance over Angar Gram Panchayat. Recently, the Angar Gram Panchayat was converted into a Nagar Panchayat, and since elections are being held here for the first time, it has become a prestigious event.
Last month, Rajan Patil left Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's NCP and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Therefore, it was expected that Angar Nagar Panchayat would fall under the BJP's fold without contesting the elections. However, Ajit Pawar challenged Rajan Patil's monopoly in Angar by fielding Ujwala Thite as the candidate for the post of Nagar Panchayat president. Rajan Patil's daughter-in-law, Prajakta Patil, is in the fray for the same post.
Latest update:
NCP candidate Ujwala Thite filed her nomination for the post on Monday amid heavy police bandobast. The district administration provided security after she alleged threats from rival BJP workers, claiming they were preventing her from visiting the nomination centre.
However, in a dramatic turn of events, Thite's nomination was rejected by the election officials, clearing the way for Prajakta Patil to become the first president of the newly constituted local body.
After the nomination of Thite was rejected, BJP workers broke into celebration and burst crackers.
In a viral video, Rajan Patil's son, Balraje Patil, was sitting on the shoulder of a worker and cheering. At the same time, he pointed his finger at the camera and said with anger, “Ajit Pawar… saglyancha naad karaycha pan Angarkarancha nahi (mess with everyone, but not with Angarkaras).”
Reactions:
Following this viral video, NCP-SP MLA Rohit Pawar and NCP MLC Amol Mitkari slammed Rajan Patil's son.
Rohit Pawar wrote on X, "Respected Rajan Patil Saheb, you are a senior leader, I have always respected you, but yesterday I felt very sad to see a video of our children criticising Ajitdada. Even when we were in power in the united NCP, we never used such language against the opposition... Power comes and goes... It is not possible to say when the palaces built by BJP on the basis of vote theft will collapse, so I would like to tell them to take it easy... Anyway, under the BJP, political culture and Maharashtra Dharma are forgotten! I hope that you will give them the right understanding..!"
Amol Mitkari said, "Rajan Patil and his two sons are boasting of power. We will give a suitable answer to the language they use about those on whose pieces they lived... that's all for now."
What will happen?
Along with Prajakta Patil's nomination, that of an independent candidate, Saraswati Shinde, was also found valid during scrutiny.
A contest for the post of Nagar Panchayat president is still possible, but the final picture will emerge only after the November 21 deadline for withdrawal of nominations. However, the much-discussed showdown between the NCP and the BJP will not take place.
All 17 candidates for the post of councillor have already been elected unopposed.
