Big Jolt To Congress In Pune: Sulking Party Leader Aba Bagul Meets Devendra Fadnavis In Nagpur

Former Deputy Mayor and Congress leader Aba Bagul, displeased with Congress' nomination of MLA Ravindra Dhangekar in Pune parliamentary constituency, met Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and BJP State President Chandrashekhar Bawankule in Nagpur on Monday.

As Bagul met BJP leaders against the backdrop of the election, discussions have begun regarding whether he will join the BJP.

Congress' decision to nominate Kasba MLA Ravindra Dhangekar for the Pune Lok Sabha seat sparked discontent among Bagul and his supporter. Earlier this month, Bagul and his supporters staged a demonstration outside Congress Bhavan to express their displeasure. He had expressed concern that the decision undermined the loyalty of dedicated Congress workers, leaving many feeling neglected and unheard. Bagul had emphasised his commitment to Congress but highlighted discontent over the party's disregard for the 'one man one post' principle, sidelining loyalists.

Dhangekar vs Mohol

Meanwhile, in Pune, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has nominated former mayor Murlidhar Mohol as its candidate, while the Congress has put forward Kasba MLA Ravindra Dhangekar. More's entry into the race has added an intriguing dimension to the contest.

Notably, the BJP has clinched victory in Pune in the past two terms, with Anil Shirole (2014) and Girish Bapat (2019) securing substantial victories. Prior to that, Congress' Suresh Kalmadi held the Pune MP seat, winning consecutively in 2004 and 2009.

Examining the 2019 election results, VBA candidate Anil Jadhav garnered 64,793 votes, constituting 6.26% of the total votes, while Bapat secured 6.32 lakh votes and Congress leader Mohan Joshi received 3.08 lakh votes.