Tejas Navale

Pune: After the humiliating defeat of Mahayuti in the general Lok Sabha election in 2024, whispering dissent within the Mahayuti alliance has started coming to the fore. Many leaders of the BJP, Shiv Sena Shinde faction, and NCP Ajit Pawar faction started playing blame games and holding others responsible for the defeat.

In a similar incident, the BJP's vice president for Pune district and director of the Pune Market Committee, Sudarshan Chaudhari, demanded the removal of the NCP Ajit Pawar faction from Mahayuti. He expressed this desire in the review meeting for Shirur Lok Sabha Constituency. The BJP's Daund MLA, Rahul Kul, was presented to this meeting.

Sudarshan Chaudhari said, "Ajit Pawar has imposed on us. If Ajit Pawar is going to be part of the government, then we do not want such power. Ajit Pawar has done injustice to BJP activists. Every BJP activist in the district is feeling that they have been suppressed after the entry of Ajit Pawar within the Mahayuti."

He further added, "For the past ten years, we have been struggling against the NCP in the district for the growth of the BJP. But, now, all of a sudden, all activists of the BJP are feeling demoralised after Ajit Pawar once again took control of the district as a Guardian Minister. No party activist is happy with the entry of Ajit Pawar in Mahayuti."

However, NCP city president Deepak Mankar has rebuked Sudarshan Chaudhari for his statement. Mankar said, "Who is Sudarshan Chaudhari? Who has given him the power to speak? Is he the BJP's spokesperson? I have never listened about him earlier." Mankar said that Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde both want Ajit Pawar to stay within the Mahayuti government. He further questioned that, after contesting only four seats in the state, how can anyone hold the NCP responsible for the bad performance of Mahayuti in the state?

He said, "Instead of that, the BJP and Shiv Sena got the strength of our leaders and activists all over the state." He said that Rahul Kul was heading the review meeting, and he must not have allowed such statements against any leaders of the Mahayuti alliance. He must give strict warning to such officials.

After this, Sudarshan Chaudhari said that he had not said anything wrong or defamatory about Ajit Pawar. He just expressed the feelings of party activists in front of his leader. He further said that he was firm in his decision.