BJP loyalists protest outsiders

Kalate joins BJP

- Varad Bhatkhande

Grassroots workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Pimpri-Chinchwad have voiced strong resentment, alleging that years of loyalty are being ignored as the party inducts candidates from rival parties ahead of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) elections.

Instead of rewarding loyal cadre, the party has begun inducting candidates from other parties to strengthen its electoral prospects, a move that has allegedly triggered widespread discontent.

As many as 17 leaders from other parties, including the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP), the Indian National Congress and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), joined the BJP in the presence of Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan on Saturday, Dec 20. Adding to the anger, former NCP-SP Maharashtra Assembly candidate Rahul Kalate joined the party on Tuesday. His induction drew the strongest opposition, as he is considered a traditional rival of the Jagtap family of Chinchwad, to whom many local BJP workers remain loyal.