Pimpri-Chinchwad: In a shocking turn of events, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Maharashtra State President Ravindra Chavan has claimed that we regret including the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar with us. Answering back to Pawar’s scathing attack on the BJP in Pimpri-Chinchwad on Friday, Chavan also claimed that he had warned Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis about including Ajit Pawar.
Chavan was speaking at the campaign launch for BJP candidates for the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) elections at Bhakti-Shakti Chowk in Nigdi. The event was attended by Election Chief and Chinchwad MLA Shankar Jagtap, Bhosari MLA Mahesh Landge, MLCs Amit Gorkhe and Uma Khapre, BJP Pimpri-Chinchwad City President Shatrughna Kate, former MP Amar Sable, and former Mayor Sanjog Waghere.
Speaking at the event, Chavan said, “Everyone knows the circumstances under which Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar joined hands with the BJP. Party office-bearers from Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad were telling me to ‘think twice’ about taking him along. I used to tell Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis the same in private: that we should reconsider. Now, we feel a sense of regret for having taken Pawar with us.”
After the speech, when the reporters asked him about his remark, Chavan confirmed his statements with a yes. Chavan’s remarks came as a rebuttal to Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, who had made serious allegations on Friday regarding the BJP’s previous administration in the PCMC.
‘Pawar is Following a Script’
Chavan said, “Some private agencies provide advice to spread false narratives during elections. Ajit Pawar is allied with us at the Centre and in the State, but in this local election, the ground is shifting beneath his feet. Pawar would not make such false allegations unless instructed by the agency advising him. All his allegations are lies.”
He continued, “Our motto is ‘We won’t take bribes, nor let anyone else’ (Na khaunga, na khane dunga). Central and state leaders ensure that work in local self-government bodies is transparent. After the elections, Pawar will laugh it off and say, ‘It happened; let it go.’ Currently, he is following the method of ‘lying loudly and repeatedly.’ However, the BJP’s organisational strength is robust. The voters are wise and will prioritise development. The Pimpri-Chinchwad mayor will definitely be from the BJP.”
On the Silence of Local MLAs...
When asked why local MLAs did not immediately refute Pawar’s allegations, Chavan replied, “When a person holding the high office of Deputy CM makes allegations, it is expected that someone of equal stature should respond. The BJP is a disciplined party; we have established protocols and rules regarding who should answer specific allegations. We operate according to those rules.”
He further took a dig at Pawar, saying, “Those who are now making allegations never previously mentioned that they were part of the power structure during the Rs 70,000 crore irrigation scam. Since his advisory agency has changed, they probably lack sufficient information.”
Chavan also alleged, “Certain agencies write scripts for Pawar. They tell him which shirt to wear because it’s ‘lucky’ or which specific sentences will get him the best publicity and public applause. These agencies are hired for huge sums of money. They pay thousands of people to sit in offices and ‘troll’ others to show how famous a leader or party is. Pawar is simply reading out those scripts.”
‘Don’t Mess with a Wrestler’: Chavan’s Indirect Warning to Ajit Pawar
Responding to Deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s recent allegations against BJP MLA Mahesh Landge of intimidation and corruption, Ravindra Chavan issued a stern warning, saying, “In elections, criticism happens. But I swear by God that one should not mess with a wrestler. Bhosari MLA Mahesh Landge has not given up his wrestling roots. Don’t get on his bad side,” he said, indirectly targeting the Guardian Minister. This signal of support for Landge suggests that the conflict between Landge and Pawar is set to intensify.
On the occasion, former corporators from the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Adv. Sandeep Chinchwade, Rajendra Salunkhe, Sushma Tanpure, and Shridhar Walhekar, joined the BJP in the presence of Ravindra Chavan.
