Pune: With an eye on the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, key leaders and potential candidates in Pune are intensifying their efforts, showcasing their influence in a bid to secure the constituency ticket for the Pune Lok Sabha seat. In response, Pune BJP activists, former Mayor Murlidhar Mohol, and former MLA Jagdish Mulik have initiated a series of continuous events in the city.
Following the unfortunate passing of MP Girish Bapat, the Pune Lok Sabha constituency remains unoccupied. While a by-election for this constituency seems unlikely, all candidates are now focusing on the impending Lok Sabha elections scheduled for May 2024.
Given the historical association of this seat with the BJP, it is anticipated that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will claim it in the Grand Alliance. As the name of former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh campaigner and ex-BJP national secretary Sunil Deodhar surfaces in discussions, aspirants like Mohol and Mulik are feeling the pressure, realising that securing candidature is a significant challenge. Consequently, they are compelled to continue showcasing their strength to vie for the nomination.
The Pune Lok Sabha seat holds strategic importance in state elections, as it will sway the mood of voters who align with the ideology of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological backbone of the BJP. However, the BJP has every reason to tread cautiously, considering the recent setback in the Kasba Peth constituency by-election, a long-standing bastion of the party in the state.
Deodhar, with his background as a former RSS campaigner, presents a formidable claim to the seat. Having played a pivotal role in the success of the BJP in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in Varanasi, represented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and contributing to the triumph in the 2018 Tripura elections, Deodhar’s interest in the Lok Sabha elections has spurred other candidates to ramp up their preparations for the nomination.
Mohol, known for his close association with Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has been organising blood donation camps and distributing Diwali Faral alongside State Minister Chandrakant Patil. Meanwhile, Mulik has engaged with the public through a recent satsang of Bagheshwar Dham Maharaj. As the competition intensifies, it remains to be seen who will ultimately secure the coveted ticket for the Pune Lok Sabha seat.
