Pune, June 1 (IANS) High-voltage drama and chaos unfolded within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Pune on Monday over the selection of candidates for the upcoming Pune Local Authorities Constituency Legislative Council election, slated for June 18.
June 1 was the last day to file nominations. Despite Vikram Kakade’s name being finalised on Sunday night, a major crisis erupted on Monday as disgruntled faction leaders voiced strong opposition.
Following a tense two-hour marathon meeting at the ‘Jijai’ residence, attended by Sunetra Pawar, Parth Pawar, and Jay Pawar, Vikram Kakade’s candidature was officially confirmed.
To formalise the decision, Vikram Kakade and his father, former MP Sanjay Kakade, officially joined the NCP. However, the announcement triggered a massive rebellion within the party, with senior loyalists levelling explosive allegations against the leadership.
Expressing deep resentment after being denied the ticket, former MLA Vilas Lande launched a scathing attack on the party’s functioning. Lande, one of the leading aspirants, said, “Vikram Kakade has been given this candidature solely because of his financial muscle. We have no idea which mine the party leadership dug out this ‘gem’ from! If Ajit Dada were around today, he would have given this opportunity to a loyal and hardworking party worker. In Dada’s absence, we feel completely helpless.”
Compounding the disappointment, Monday marked Lande’s birthday. He and his supporters were highly optimistic that the party leadership would present him with the ticket as a “birthday gift.” Taking a sarcastic jibe at seniors, Lande remarked that fielding Kakade would “surely strengthen the party in the future,” while warning that grassroots connections with workers were fracturing. He openly questioned whether any leader remained in the party to back loyalists after Ajit Pawar.
Echoing similar grief, senior NCP leader and State Vice President Suresh Ghule broke down in tears while speaking to the media. He said he had dedicated his entire life to the party and was still active.
“Sanjay Kakade broke our party back in 2017, and today, his son is being rewarded with a ticket. The party should have definitely considered my loyalty,” Ghule said, adding that he intended to voice his grievances directly to Sunetra Pawar and Parth Pawar.
Insiders revealed that Vikram Kakade is a close confidant of Parth Pawar, who had reportedly promised him the Pune legislative council seat. The swift induction and immediate candidature of Kakade sent a strong signal through the ranks that Parth Pawar holds the final word in the party’s local decision-making. The internal rift spilled into the open at the party office in dramatic fashion.
Former MLA Sunil Tingre, a close associate of the late Ajit Pawar and a frontrunner for the seat, abruptly stormed out of the high-level meeting at the ‘Jijai’ bungalow before the official induction ceremony. While Tingre initially downplayed his exit to reporters, claiming he was heading to the party office to prepare for senior members, he instead began preparing his own nomination papers for the Vidhan Parishad seat.
In an unprecedented scene at the Pune NCP headquarters, official candidate Vikram Kakade and rebel hopeful Sunil Tingre sat directly across from each other, simultaneously filing their nomination forms. The office descended into chaos as party workers traded barbs, and veteran loyalists openly confronted Kakade over his sudden entry into the party.
With the NCP successfully securing both the Pune and Raigad seats under the Mahayuti alliance’s seat-sharing formula, the Pune seat was expected to be a smooth sail. However, Vilas Lande’s aggressive rebellion, Suresh Ghule’s public breakdown, and Sunil Tingre’s parallel nomination have severely dented party discipline. This massive internal friction poses a significant headache for the ruling Mahayuti alliance, raising the imminent threat of cross-voting and a split in the electorate.
