Pune: After former MLA Bapu Pathare joined NCP (SCP) and is expected to contest the assembly poll from Pune's Wadgaon Sheri constituency, the equation has become challenging for sitting NCP MLA Sunil Tingre who also faces a tough fight within Mahayuti where BJP 's former MLA Jagdish Mulik is hoping for a ticket. Pathare, along with his son Surendra and three former PMC corporators joined NCP (SCP) in the presence of Sharad Pawar at his Mumbai residence on Tuesday. Pathare had represented Wadgaon Sheri constituency in 2009 on an NCP ticket.
He joined BJP in 2019 but felt sidelined. Before Pathare, BJP's Samarjeetsinh Ghatge from Kolhapur and former MP Suryakant Patil from Hingoli have joined Pawar. "I will keep working for the progress of the state and I have full faith in the leadership of Sharad Pawar who will take Maharashtra to a new level of development," Pathare said.
Tingre is on a sticky wicket with a series of troubles mounting against him in the last few months. His preparations for the poll received a major blow when his name cropped up in the Porsche car accident in which two youngsters died in Pune. He faced allegations from the opposition that he went to the police station on the night after the accident to help the accused teen.
Former BJP MLA Jagdish Mulik was defeated by Tingre in 2019 when NCP and BJP contested against each other. Even though NCP is in the Mahayuti, Mulik has not given up his claim to the seat making it difficult for Tingre to challenge his opponents from the opposition. BOX with a mugshot Ujwal Keskar Hopes For Ticket Fresh trouble is brewing for BJP in Pune after former PMC corporator Ujwal Keskar wrote to Union minister of state Murlidhar Mohol and MLC Pankaja Munde who will oversee the constituencies in Pune, expressing his desire to contest the assembly poll either from Kothrud or Shivajinagar constituency, represented cabinet minister Chandrakant Patil and Siddharth Shirole, respectively.
Keskar told TOI, "I have expressed my desire to contest the assembly poll. I feel the city needs an elected representative who will voice people's concerns. I have filed several petitions and PILs for Pune's betterment.
If I become the elected representative in the assembly, I will not have to go to the court." He said he has been a BJP loyalist and campaigned for late MP Girish Bapat and Patil and the party should consider these factors.
