Pune: BJP Faces Rebellion in Kothrud as Amol Balwadkar Prepares to Contest Independently

Reported by Tikam Shekhawat & Mubarak Ansari
Pune, 28th October 2024: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) faces a rebellion within its ranks in the Kothrud assembly constituency, Pune. Amol Balwadkar, a prominent BJP aspirant for the Kothrud seat, has announced his decision to contest independently after being denied a party nomination. Despite senior BJP leaders, including State President Chandrashekhar Bawankule, visiting Balwadkar’s home to dissuade him from rebelling, their efforts have failed.

Kothrud has traditionally been a BJP stronghold, with current BJP candidate and Higher Education Minister Chandrakant Patil considered a safe choice for the upcoming election. However, Balwadkar’s defiance now threatens to divide the BJP vote, potentially complicating Patil’s chances of re-election.

Adding to the tension, an Income Tax raid was conducted on the Wagholi residence of Balwadkar’s brother-in-law, wrestler Abhijit Katke, just days ago. Speculation arose that the raid was an attempt to pressure Balwadkar to back down from his rebellion. Despite these pressures, Balwadkar remains firm in his decision to contest the election.

With Balwadkar’s entry into the race, Kothrud is set to witness a four-way contest. Alongside Chandrakant Patil from the BJP, Chandrakant Mokate from Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction, Kishore Shinde of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), and now Amol Balwadkar will be competing for the seat.

This multi-cornered battle is likely to disrupt the BJP’s dominance in the constituency and pose a major challenge to Chandrakant Patil.