Pune: Denial of Ticket to Amol Balwadkar Triggers Exit of BJP Workers in Sus–Mhalunge
Baner, 6th January 2026: Discontent has surfaced within the BJP’s local unit in the Sus–Mhalunge area after Amol Balwadkar was denied a party ticket, prompting several party workers and office-bearers to resign and join the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
The mass induction took place at a “Vijayi Sankalp Sabha” organised in Baner in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. A large number of workers from the Sus–Mhalunge belt formally entered the NCP, citing dissatisfaction with the BJP’s decision on candidate selection.
Speaking on the occasion, the newly inducted members said the denial of candidature to Amol Balwadkar had led to widespread resentment among grassroots workers. They described the decision as unjust and said it had hurt the morale of those who had been actively working at the local level.
The workers said that Balwadkar’s contribution to organisational work and his engagement with citizens at the grassroots level made the decision difficult to understand. In this backdrop, they said, several residents and party workers from Sus and Mhalunge collectively decided to part ways with the BJP and join the NCP to continue their political work.
Among those who joined the NCP were several women activists and former local representatives, including former sarpanches and members of self-help groups, as well as a large number of male workers from the area.
The new entrants said they would work under the “Vijayi Sankalp” banner to strengthen the organisation, take a firm stand on local civic issues, and work collectively in the interest of citizens in the coming period.
