Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amol Balwadkar on Tuesday joined the Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) after he was denied a ticket to contest the upcoming Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) polls.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Balwadkar wrote, "I thank Deputy Chief Minister, Ajit Pawar, for placing his trust in a hardworking person like me! Today, upon joining the Nationalist Congress Party, I was given the official candidature from Ward No. 9 by the party."
Balwadkar, speaking to the reporters after filing his nominations, expressed his anger at the saffron party.
He said, "The people in my area supported me even in the Assembly elections. People were saying, ‘Amol Bhaiya, stand as an independent candidate.’ Even though external MLAs feel embarrassed here, I still accepted the party’s decision and waited. For two to three months, the entire public stood with me, but I held back because of Devendra Fadnavis’ words."
"This dictatorship isn't right. Every party has the right to grow, touch the sky, but they must keep their feet firmly on the ground. Such injustice towards a ground-level worker won't be tolerated. The people of my area are by my side. I will show the BJP what a karyakarta is," he added.
Balwadkar was also keen on contesting the 2024 Assembly polls from the Kothrud constituency. However, the BJP gave the ticket to Chandrakant Patil. Balwadkar then challenged the party leadership, stating that he would consider other options if he was not given the ticket. Moreover, he has also accused Patil of isolating him within the party after he expressed his desire to contest the polls.
He said, “I have worked tirelessly for the party for the last ten years and stood by its leaders. But now, when I express my desire to contest, the same leaders threaten me. If a party leader cannot even acknowledge a worker’s aspiration, why should I fear them? The public stands with me, and I draw my strength from their support.”
“During the Lok Sabha elections, as I interacted with citizens, they repeatedly urged me to step up. Their concerns and expectations convinced me to pursue this path,” he added.
There were speculations that Balwadkar was in touch with senior NCP (SP) leaders and that he might join the party, secure a ticket and contest the election against Patil. However, after Devendra Fadnavis intervened, Balwadkar backed down and met Patil, giving his full support to him.
