BJP faction stakes claim on PCMC panel chief’s post

PIMPRI: A faction led by Bhosari MLA Mahesh Landge has staked its claim on the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) Standing Committee chief’s post. 

Mayor Rahul Jadhav and former mayor Nitin Kalje demanded that Santosh Londhe, a corporator from Bhosari, should be elected as the Standing Committee’s chairman, at a press conference here on Tuesday. 

The demand is expected to fuel a tussle between MLA Landge and Chinchwad MLA and city BJP Chief Laxman Jagtap to retain control over the local civic body. After the BJP came to power in PCMC two years back, the mayoral post was given to supporters belonging to MLA Landge, while the post of the Standing Committee chief was given to MLA Jagtap’s supporters. 

Addressing the media, Mayor Jadhav and Kalje said that all corporators from Bhosari want Londhe to be elected to the Standing Committee chief’s post. They said that they will meet both Jagtap and Landge in this connection.

Last year, Jagtap supporter Mamata Gaikwad was elected Standing Committee chief. At that time, Rahul Jadhav and Sheetal Shinde had resigned from the Standing Committee’s membership to protest against denial of the post to them. This time, too, Shinde is interested in securing the coveted post.

Jadhav said that Londhe will file candidature for the Standing Committee chairman’s post. There is no problem if two members of the ruling BJP are in the race for the post, he said.