BJP Corporators and Leaders Issue Final Warning Against Jagtap Family’s Dynastic Politics 

Former BJP corporators have decided to intensify their opposition if the party’s candidature is given to a member of the Jagtap family. They issued a final warning during a meeting held today at Rahatni, expressing that they will reconsider their course of action if the MLA post continues to remain with the same family for 22 years. This meeting took place at the residence of former corporator Chandrakant Nakhate, a strong contender for the Chinchwad assembly constituency.  

Although BJP leaders have advised patience, the participants in the meeting emphasized that they are now compelled to take decisive action. The meeting saw the presence of corporators like Chandrakant Nakhate, Shatrughna Kate, Sandeep Kasapte, Kailas Barne, Siddheshwar Barne, Balasaheb Owhal, Madhuri Kulkarni, Sunita Tapkir, and Savita Nakhate. Also in attendance were BJP Yuva Morcha’s state vice president Raj Tapkir and former city vice president Rambhau Wakadkar.  

During the meeting, several members expressed their views strongly. Leading the discussion, Shatrughna Kate remarked that Chinchwad has a large voter base loyal to the BJP, prioritizing the party and Hindutva ideology over individuals or family dominance. Voters are unhappy with the favoritism shown to close relatives like brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law of the same family holding key positions, and now they are voicing their dissatisfaction openly. With the assembly elections approaching, opposition to the Jagtap family is growing rather than diminishing.  

Kate recalled that in 2009, Laxman Jagtap narrowly won the Chinchwad assembly seat by just 6,000 votes. However, in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, despite being the sitting MLA, Jagtap trailed by 60,000 votes in his own constituency. Recognizing the Modi wave and the changing political scenario, Jagtap strategically switched from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to the BJP in 2014, securing the BJP’s nomination and winning the assembly seat.  

In 2019, Jagtap’s former leader Ajit Pawar fielded his son Parth Pawar from the Maval Lok Sabha seat. Initially, Jagtap hesitated to campaign for Mahayuti’s candidate Shrirang Barne, and BJP leader Girish Mahajan had to intervene twice to reconcile the situation. Eventually, with support from RSS volunteers and loyal BJP workers, Mahayuti’s campaign gained momentum, forcing Jagtap to join the campaign in its final stages. Barne secured a massive lead of 96,000 votes from the Chinchwad constituency.  

In contrast, during the 2019 assembly elections, the Chinchwad seat was allocated to the NCP under the Mahavikas Aghadi alliance, but the NCP did not field a candidate against Jagtap. Rahul Kalate contested as an independent, yet despite BJP, Shiv Sena, RPI, and Sangh Parivar’s backing, Jagtap managed only a meager lead of 38,000 votes compared to Barne’s previous performance.  

In the by-elections following Laxman Jagtap’s demise, BJP’s Ashwini Jagtap secured 136,000 votes, while MVA candidate Nana Kate received 100,000 votes and independent candidate Kalate garnered 46,000 votes. The opposition noted that over 150,000 votes were cast against the Jagtap family, reflecting growing discontent. Meanwhile, some corporators from Ajit Pawar’s faction have also begun meeting in opposition to the Jagtap family.  

In protest against the Jagtap family’s functioning and dynastic politics, BJP corporators like Tushar Kamthe, Navnath Jagtap, Maya Barne, Chanda Lokhande, and Seema Chougule have already left the party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.  

In today’s meeting, senior BJP corporators from Chinchwad, who have successfully led their panels to multiple electoral victories, united to oppose dynastic politics.  

The attendees emphasized that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP National President J.P. Nadda have consistently opposed giving multiple key positions to members of the same family. They urged the Maharashtra BJP leadership to prioritize capable candidates over family favoritism.  

In a united statement, the attendees demanded, “Give the ticket to any of us except the Jagtap family. We will not only work hard but also ensure victory.”  

The leaders disclosed that the party’s senior officials have contacted them, but they remain firm in their stance. If the leadership does not heed their warning, 14 to 15 corporators are prepared to take a separate course of action and demonstrate their strength.