with pic 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 along 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 much to the party 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. "Since the party wants a young face, I may get the ticket and I have already started preparations," he added. MSID:: 112651021 413 |.
