Pune: Ravi Landge Joins Shiv Sena, Aiming for Bhosari Seat in Upcoming Assembly Elections
Reported By Varad Bhatkhande
Pimpri Chinchwad, 20th August 2024: Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Corporator Ravi Landge, showcasing his influence, has joined Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray). Hundreds of his supporters were present at the event. He expressed interest in contesting from the Bhosari constituency in the upcoming Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections. Shiv Sena (UBT) Party President Uddhav Thackeray welcomed Ravi Landge at Matoshree Bungalow earlier today.
At the event, the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, Ambadas Danve, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, MLC Sachin Ahir, MLA Milind Narvekar, and many local activists of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena from Pimpri Chinchwad were present.
Before joining Uddhav Sena, Ravi Landge and his supporters staged a show of strength from Pimpri Chinchwad to Mumbai. Over 500 vehicles and hundreds of supporters participated in the demonstration, which extended to Matoshree Bungalow in the Bandra East area of Mumbai. Numerous banners were erected from Bhosari to the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and up to Matoshree Bungalow in Mumbai’s Queen of Suburbs.
During this event, Landge pledged to fulfill the responsibilities entrusted to him by the Shiv Sena (UBT) Party. He also stated his commitment to working towards bringing Shiv Sena to power in the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC).
Before departing for Mumbai with a sea of supporters, Landge interacted with the media in Pimpri-Chinchwad. He said, “Since the Jan Sangh days, my family has been loyal to the BJP. However, with MLA Mahesh Landge joining the BJP, the party’s core principles have been sidelined. The party’s operations have taken a different direction, and corruption is pervasive in Bhosari under their influence. There are dictations, oppression, abuse of power, and false promises being made to the people. People are fed up with this, and every loyal BJP worker is disillusioned. Frustrated with this approach and having lost patience, I have decided to join Shiv Sena, a party that shares similar values to the BJP. In Bhosari, there is a large section of people who support Shiv Sena. If nominated, I will contest the assembly elections.”
In the 2017 PCMC elections, Ravi Landge was elected as an unopposed BJP corporator. Landge and his family are known as some of the oldest BJP loyalists in Pimpri-Chinchwad politics. However, after the BJP came to power in the PCMC, Ravi Landge was overlooked for key positions, leading to his dissatisfaction. He resigned from the BJP two years ago. After observing the political landscape for two years, Ravi has now joined the Uddhav Sena in anticipation of the upcoming Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections.
As Ravi Landge joins the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, part of the Mahavikas Aghadi coalition alongside the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Sharad Pawar, new developments are emerging in the political landscape. Last month, Ajit Gavhane, Pimpri-Chinchwad City President of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, joined Sharad Pawar’s faction, hoping to secure a ticket for the Bhosari constituency in the upcoming elections. Additionally, former corporator Sulbha Ubale has expressed a desire to contest from the Bhosari constituency.
With Ravi Landge now joining Uddhav Sena and seeking a ticket, along with two major competitors already vocal about their ambitions, there is a significant possibility of disputes within the Mahavikas Aghadi and potential discontent among activists regarding the Bhosari constituency.
