Maha BJP seeks ground report from Ahmednagar on poll reverses

The Maharashtra BJP on Friday demanded a report on reverses in Ahmednagar district in the October Assembly polls against the backdrop of some prominent faces who lost levelling charges of infighting and sabotage.

Former minister Ram Shinde, who lost from Karjat Jamkhed to NCP chief Sharad Pawar's grand-nephew Rohit Pawar, as well as others like Snehalata Kolhe (who lost from Kopargaon) and Shivaji Kardile (Rahuri) had blamed infighting and pointed fingers at senior leader Radhkrishna Vikhe Patil.

Vikhe Patil had crossed over from the Congress to the BJP in July this year, and won from Shirdi in the 2019 Assembly polls.

Party functionaries said LoP and former CM Devendra Fadnavis and organisation secretary Vijay Puranik heard out Shinde and Vikhe Patil during a meeting held here.

While Vikhe Patil refused to divulge details of the meeting to reporters and only said "minor differences do exist in every party", Shinde said the party had taken serious cognisance of the poll reverses in Ahmednagar district.

"Organisation secretary Vijay Purnanik will submit a fact-based ground report in 15 days based on which corrective action will be taken," Shinde told reporters after the meeting.

He said the responsibility of handling party affairs for upcoming Zilla Parishad (ZP) polls has been entrusted to him and Vikhe Patil.

Earlier this month, Shinde had lashed out at Vikhe Patil claiming "in whichever party Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil goes, he creates mischief and a dangerous atmosphere".