PUNE, 6 NOV. After Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar politically outmanoeuvred Union Minister of State Murlidhar Mohol in the Maharashtra Olympic Association presidential election, forcing Mohol to withdraw, the BJP has now appointed Mohol as the Election In-charge for the Pune district. This move is seen as a strategic step to challenge Ajit Pawar's dominance in the upcoming local self-government elections in Pune, setting the stage for another Pawar vs. Mohol battle.

The BJP announced its appointments of election in-charges and election heads, with Mohol being named the in-charge for Pune district. The renewed confrontation comes after the two leaders faced off in the Olympic Association election, where Ajit Pawar's political maneuvering led to Mohol's withdrawal and cleared the path for Pawar's presidency. Following that incident and earlier political challenges (like the Jain boarding land issue), there was speculation that Mohol's political weight was diminishing. However, the BJP's decision to entrust him with the responsibility for local body polls poses a direct challenge to Ajit Pawar.

Ajit Pawar holds significant influence in the rural areas of Pune district. Elections have been announced for Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats across the state, including 14 Municipal Councils and three Nagar Panchayats in Pune district. Since many regions were previously controlled by the undivided NCP, and most leaders stayed with Ajit Pawar after the split, his faction currently holds substantial power. The BJP aims to undermine this strength by pitting Mohol against Pawar.

Four More BJP Strategists Appointed to Corner Ajit Pawar:

To counter Ajit Pawar's influence not just in rural areas but also in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporations, and the Maval and Baramati regions, the BJP has appointed four of Pawar's staunch rivals as Election Heads:

• Ganesh Bidkar for Pune City.

• MLA Mahesh Landge for Pune-North (Maval) division. Landge is known for openly criticising Ajit Pawar and is tasked with stopping Pawar's NCP (Ajit Pawar) faction, led by MLA Sunil Shelke, in Maval.

• MLA Rahul Kul for Pune-South (Baramati) division, aiming to challenge Pawar's influence in Daund, Indapur, and parts of Baramati.

• MLA Shankar Jagtap for the Pimpri-Chinchwad division. Jagtap's late brother, MLA Laxman Jagtap, had taken control of the Municipal Corporation from Pawar's faction. Jagtap is now tasked with keeping Ajit Pawar out of power in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation.

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