Pune, Jan 1 (IANS) The row over ticket distribution for the Pune Municipal Corporation elections has intensified with the BJP’s Rajya Sabha member Medha Kulkarni openly raising questions.

Kulkarni waded into the ongoing controversy after questioning the party’s functioning and supporting the disgruntled party workers, thereby intensifying the debate over the “Loyalists vs. Outsiders” divide.

Taking to social media to express her concerns, Medha Kulkarni shared a poignant post explicitly addressed to “Loyal Party Workers (Nishthavant Karyakarta)”. In her post, she used a cryptic yet powerful poetic couplet of Gulzar to highlight the pain of those overlooked. “Kuch keh gaye, kuch seh gaye. Kuch kehte kehte reh gaye, (some spoke out, some endured in silence, and some were left silenced while trying to speak)”.

In the political circles of Pune, this post is being viewed as a direct swipe at the party’s current working style.

Kulkarni’s intervention comes at a time when long-time BJP workers are outraged over being denied tickets in favour of recent entrants from other parties. By using this couplet, she has lent a voice to the “loyalists” who feel betrayed by the leadership’s decisions.

Observers noted that her post highlights three categories of workers, including those who are openly protesting, those who are suffering the injustice in silence and those who feel suppressed despite wanting to voice their grievances.

The dissatisfaction in Pune has reached a boiling point, with several sitting corporators being denied tickets while newcomers are being rewarded.

Kulkarni, who has previously faced similar challenges within the local unit, has now positioned herself firmly behind the grassroots workers. Her public stance is being seen as a “home truth” delivered to the BJP leadership, warning them that ignoring the sentiments of loyalists could prove costly in the upcoming polls.

Meanwhile, with the upcoming Municipal Corporation elections witnessing a surge in internal dissent within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has personally taken charge to suppress the rebellion. Over the last two days, the Chief Minister has initiated a strategic outreach to pacify disgruntled candidates and party workers across various cities, recognising that internal rebellion could derail the party’s prospects in major corporations.

As the number of rebels continues to rise in several key municipal corporations, CM Fadnavis has reportedly reached out to prominent local leaders via telephone, instructing them to immediately contain the internal strife.

The chief minister has not only taken the initiative to quell rebellion but has also assigned senior ministers, including Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Chandrakant Patil and Girish Mahajan and the state BJP president Ravindra Chavan, to hold talks with rebels and convince them to fall in.

–IANS

sj/dpb