Pune: NCP MLA Sunil Shelke on Sunday accused BJP leaders from the Maval assembly constituency of secretly working with the opposition to field a candidate against him. Shelke said he has raised this issue with Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis during a meeting with them in Mumbai on Saturday. The MLA accused Maval BJP leaders of causing differences between local NCP leaders to get their support to field an independent candidate backed by all opposition parties.
He told reporters in Maval on Sunday, "Some BJP leaders in Maval are meeting local NCP office-bearers to plan a strategy to secretly extend their support to field an independent candidate backed by Sharad Pawar and the MVA in the assembly election here. They are also distracting BJP workers to cause rifts within the Mahayuti alliance. I have already raised this issue with Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar.
" Shelke said that Fadnavis assured him he would intervene in the matter and said every member of Mahayuti would work together for the official candidate of the alliance in Maval. Shelke added, "I have requested both the deputy chief ministers not to announce my candidature unless there is a proper coordination between the BJP's state and local leadership in Maval." Shelke, who switched to NCP from BJP before the assembly election in 2019, is facing opposition from both his current and former organisations.
Earlier, former state minister Bala Bhegade and BJP's election chief for the Maval assembly constituency, Ravindra Bhegade,.