Pune: The BJP has announced Shankar Jagtap, the current city president, as its candidate for the Chinchwad Assembly constituency, replacing sitting MLA Ashwini Jagtap.
This decision follows the resolution of a family feud within the Jagtap family, which has long held sway in the region. Shankar Jagtap, who has previously served as a corporator, now faces the challenge of appeasing a group of disgruntled former corporators who oppose his nomination.
Chinchwad has been a political bastion of the Jagtap family since the constituency’s creation. Laxman Jagtap, Shankar’s brother, had won the seat three times—once as an independent and twice on a BJP ticket.
After Laxman's passing in January 2023, his widow, Ashwini Jagtap, won the by-election, though it exposed a rift between her and Shankar over the party's choice of candidate. Shankar Jagtap was eventually made BJP’s city president following the dispute.
The current nomination has sparked fresh controversy, with 15 former corporators, who have each served three terms, strongly opposing Shankar Jagtap’s candidacy.
They argue that his selection is inappropriate and based only on his family connection to the late MLA. Despite these objections, the party’s leadership has shown confidence in Shankar Jagtap by endorsing him as their candidate.
Meanwhile, in Bhosari, MLA Mahesh Landge has secured his nomination for a second consecutive term. Speaking about his inclusion in the party’s first list of candidates, Landge expressed gratitude and highlighted his decade-long service to the constituency.
He intends to run on a platform of sustainable development for the city and expressed optimism that internal dissatisfaction within the party would be resolved.
With Shankar Jagtap’s candidacy now official, the BJP’s attention will likely turn to uniting the party’s local leaders ahead of the upcoming election.
