Fadnavis fields Gopichand Padalkar against NCP & Ajit Pawar in Baramati

Mumbai: In a bid to make things all the more difficult for the embattled Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and its leader Ajit Pawar, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis pitch-forked former Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) leader Gopichand Padalkar to take on Ajit Pawar in his bastion of Baramati. Welcoming Padalkar back to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fold at a function here on Monday, addressing Padalkar’s followers Fadnavis told them that according to him Padalkar should contest from Baramati assembly constituency.

Underscoring the oratory skills of the Dhangar community leader, the Chief Minister told the cheering Padalkar supporters that he would personally put a word for his candidature with the BJP central leadership. Fadnavis added that not only should Padalkar contest from Baramati, but also win from there. Referring to the recent Lok Sabha polls, the Chief Minister remarked that it pained him as Padalkar left the party fold and joined the VBA to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Baramati and garnered four lakh votes.

Fadnavis pointed out to Padalkar and his supporters that there was no point in being in the opposition ranks from where he could not do much for his Dhangar community. He reminded the crowd of supporters that the government has issued all resolutions (GRs) and extended all the reservation facilities of Schedule Tribes to the Dhangar community. Fadnavis argued that the reservation quota needs to get legal sanctity from the High Court where the case is in its final stages of hearing.

Referring to the joining of the former Congress MLA Kashiram Pavra from Shirpur assembly constituency in Dhule district, he said that with the entire Dhule district Congress leadership in the party it is a matter of time before local Congress strongman Amrishbhai Patel too joins the BJP fold by October 4.

Sources in the BJP disclosed that the formal entry of Amrish Patel and five other Congress MLAs into the party fold has been delayed for want of party president and Union Home Minister Amit Shah not finding time to come down to Mumbai for the event. As a result the formal entry of former Congress minister Siddharam Mhetre from Akkalkot, Congress legislators – Rahul Bondre (Chikhali), Aslam Sheikh (Malad), D S Ahire (Sakri) and Bharat Bhalke (Pandharpur) has been delayed.

Sources added that during the visit of Shah, the BJP is also likely to formally announce the pre-poll alliance with the Shiv Sena on October 1. Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, son Aditya Thackeray are likely to remain present at the mega event.

Till today the BJP has not been able to find a credible candidate who could take on the NCP and the Pawar family in their Baramati bastion. In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls the BJP had tried to persuade Rashtriya Samaj Paksha (RSP) leader and Minister for Dairy Development Mahadev Jankar to contest against NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s daughter and sitting MP Supriya Sule. Although Jankar did contest the 2014 polls against Sule from Baramati, he did not contest the polls on the BJP symbol.