Pune: The Chinchwad Assembly constituency is witnessing a surge in aspirants from the BJP. Following the current MLA Ashwini Laxman Jagtap, city president Shankar Jagtap, and Chandrakant Nakhate, staunch supporter of the late MLA Laxman Jagtap and former corporator Shatrughna Kate has now entered the fray.

Shatrughna Kate, a two-time corporator, has started preparing for the Chinchwad Assembly seat. He held a strong show of strength and a meeting with workers in Pimpri Saudagar.

During the meeting, workers urged Kate to contest for the MLA position. Kate expressed his dissatisfaction with BJP leaders and affirmed his determination to run for the Chinchwad Assembly seat.

He revealed that the BJP leadership had promised him the positions of Mayor, Leader of the Opposition, and Chairmanship of the Standing Committee twice but sidelined him at the last moment.

Kate, upset with the party, has declared his firm intention to not back down this time. He stated that in a democracy, everyone has the right to express their opinion and seek candidacy.

With the entry of Shatrughna Kate, alongside current MLA Ashwini Laxman Jagtap, city president Shankar Jagtap, and Chandrakant Nakhate, the BJP’s internal competition is likely to intensify.

Kate has warned the BJP leadership that if he is not given an opportunity, he will convene a meeting to decide his next steps. There are also speculations that Shatrughna Kate might rebel at the last moment if denied a chance.

The BJP currently holds the Chinchwad and Bhosari assembly constituencies. According to the Mahayuti alliance's primary principle, the party with the current MLA retains the constituency.

With the Assembly elections just three months away, leaders from all political parties are adopting a wait-and-see approach, planning to evaluate their party's performance in the elections before making any decisions.