Namdeo Dhake, BJP House leader in PCMC, said, “We are trying to convince those who are leaving the party to stay put. We have promised them that their grievances will be resolved.” (Representational) IN THE run-up to the PCMC polls, the ruling BJP in Pimpri-Chinchwad suffered yet another setback on Thursday. The party lost its third corporator in a week as Tushar Kamthe, who represented Pimple Nilakh area, quit the party as well as the civic body. Earlier, Vasant Borate from Moshi and Chanda Lokhande from Pimple Gurav had stepped down.
Accompanied by NCP leaders when he submitted his resignation at PCMC headquarters, Kamthe said he would be joining the NCP. Borate has already joined the NCP. Lokhande is also likely to follow suit.
“I was fed up with the dictatorial attitude of BJP MLAs Laxman Jagtap and Mahesh Landge. Also, I had been raising the issue of corruption in civic and smart city works but did not get support from my own party,” Kamthe said.
“I had to keep chasing civic officials to get development work done in my area. It was tough as my own party leaders created several hurdles….but I managed to outwit them,” he said.
Kamthe said he was in touch with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. NCP Pimpri-Chinchwad president Ajit Gavahane said more corporators would be resigning from the BJP to join his party. “At least 20-25 sitting corporators will resign from BJP and join NCP. This will happen in a phased manner. Corporators are tired of the way BJP leaders function. There is widespread resentment in BJP rank and file and that’s why they are veering towards NCP,” he said.
Namdeo Dhake, BJP House leader in PCMC, said, “We are trying to convince those who are leaving the party to stay put. We have promised them that their grievances will be resolved.”
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