State BJP Chief Says He Warned Fadnavis Against Ajit Pawar Tie-Up

Mumbai: Adding fuel to tensions within the Mahayuti alliance, Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan on Saturday said he had repeatedly cautioned Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis against aligning with Ajit Pawar, urging him to “think carefully.” He said he had privately conveyed concerns about the manner in which certain leaders joined the alliance.

Mr. Chavan’s remarks came a day after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) national president and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar alleged large-scale corruption by the BJP in the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC).

Addressing a campaign launch rally for BJP candidates contesting the PCMC elections at Bhakti-Shakti Chowk in Nigdi, Mr. Chavan said BJP workers from Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad had been expressing unease over the alliance. “I used to tell Devendra Fadnavis ji in private, ‘Saheb, please think carefully.’ BJP workers here tell me this every day,” he said.

The rally was attended by election in-charge and Chinchwad MLA Shankar Jagtap, Bhosari MLA Mahesh Landge, MLCs Amit Gorkhe and Uma Khapre, and BJP Pimpri-Chinchwad city president Shatrughna Kate, among others.

Mr. Chavan also issued a warning to Ajit Pawar, cautioning him against “messing with a wrestler,” a reference to BJP leader Mahesh Landge.

While describing Mr. Pawar as “otherwise a good person,” the BJP leader alleged that he was being guided by unnamed “agencies” to spread false narratives. “He is even advised on which shirt to wear. Ajit Pawar has aligned with us at the Centre and in the state, but in the PCMC elections, the ground is slipping from under his feet. That is why he is making allegations,” Mr. Chavan claimed.

He asserted that the BJP was contesting the PCMC elections under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and reiterated the government’s commitment to the principle of “Na khaunga, na khane dunga” (I will neither take bribes nor allow others to do so). Claiming strong organisational presence in Pimpri-Chinchwad, he said voters would support development and ensure the BJP’s return to power in the civic body.

Responding to a question later on whether the BJP regretted bringing the Ajit Pawar-led NCP into the Mahayuti alliance, Mr. Chavan replied in the affirmative, saying party workers had repeatedly voiced such concerns.

Earlier, Mr. Pawar had accused BJP leaders of having “ruined Pimpri-Chinchwad due to their monstrous hunger.” Rejecting the charge, Mr. Chavan said, “Ajit Pawar should look into his own self. He should consider which party he is speaking about — a party led by Narendra Modi and Devendra Fadnavis. If we begin making allegations, he will face difficulties.”