Pune: Former BJP corporator Ravi Landge , who was standing committee chairman in Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), joined Shiv Sena (UBT) in Mumbai on Tuesday with several supporters in the presence of party chief Uddhav Thackeray. Landge, whose family has been associated with the BJP for over 40 years, resigned in 2022 and blamed Bhosari MLA Mahesh Landge for corruption in Pimpri Chinchwad. His father, Babasaheb Landge and uncle Ankushrao Landge, were key BJP leaders in Pimpri Chinchwad with a long association with the party.
Ankush Landge was killed over political rivalry in 2006. Landge said, “My family had been working for the BJP from its Jan Sangh days. I joined the party following Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s inspirational ideas.
However, in the last ten years, much has changed in the BJP. In Bhosari, corruption, dictatorship, and misuse of power are rising.” He added that newcomers in the BJP do not follow the party’s ideology making it difficult for loyalists like him to work.
“Those who did not contribute were given positions. When I resigned, the party leadership did not take the matter seriously. I then decided to join Shiv Sena (UBT) which follows the same ideology as mine,” he said.
This move may create clashes over ticket distribution for the Bhosari constituency in the Maha Vikas Aghadi. Sulbha Ubale, a senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader who had unsuccessfully contested the assembly elections from Bhosari in 2009 and 2014, wants a ticket. Besides, Ajit Gavhane, former standing committee chairman of PCMC, who joined NCP (SCP) last month, is also keen and has started preparations.
On whether he has been promised a ticket by Shiv Sena (UBT) leadership, Landge said that Thackeray in his speech in Mumbai announced that the party will contest the assembly election from Bhosari and they want a young face. “I may get the ticket and I have already started preparations,” he added. We also published the following articles recently Ex-BJP corporator Ravi Landge joins Sena (UBT), keen on Bhosari ticket Former BJP corporator Ravi Landge, formerly the standing committee chairman of the PCMC, has switched to Shiv Sena (UBT) in the presence of Uddhav Thackeray.
Landge, whose family was long-associated with BJP, cited rising corruption and misuse of power in Bhosari as the reason for his departure. He hopes to contest assembly elections from Bhosari under his new party. Bombay HC issues summons to BJP MP Narayan Rane on Sena (UBT) leader's plea seeking cancellation of his election The Bombay high court summoned BJP MP Narayan Rane after Shiv Sena leader Vinayak Raut alleged Rane's election victory involved 'fraudulent means.
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