In Pune, Mahayuti manages to soften some of the rebels

Pune: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) managed to contain the uprising in Vadgaonsheri as its leader Jagdish Mulik decided not to contest the polls as filing of nomination papers for the Maharashtra assembly elections ended on Tuesday evening.

Similarly, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar managed to convince former mayor Dattatrey Dhankawade not to take this step.

In Vadgaonsheri, a seat allotted to the NCP under the Mahayuti seat-sharing agreement, the party has given the seat to its candidate Sunil Tingre. However, Mulik was ready to announce his candidacy on Tuesday, backing the BJP’s official “AB form” signaling his intention to stand.

In response to Mulik’s move, the NCP has adopted a tit-for-tat approach as it prepares to field its own candidate, Dhankawade, against the BJP’s Bhimrao Tapkir in the Khadakwasla assembly. The duo considered running for office but ended up supporting their alliance’s official candidate.

BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis intervened and ordered Mulik to relent. Mulik said, “As Fadnavis said, I have decided not to put forward the nomination. I will follow the party’s instructions although I have been given the AB form.”

Ajith later ordered Dhankawada to suspend his nomination for the Khadakwasla post. “I had completed all the preparations and was about to file the nomination, but Ajit Dada ordered me to stop and support the BJP candidate,” Dhankawade said. When asked if the episode was a pressure tactic, he replied: “I don’t know what was going on behind the scenes. I had my AB form and was ready to compete, but I respected Ajit Dada’s instructions.”

Meanwhile, in Kothrud, BJP leader Ujjwal Keskar also prepared to file papers but abstained following instructions from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). “I respect the RSS and have decided not to apply,” said Keskar, who later met BJP leader Chandrakant Patil and assured support for the latter’s campaign.