Pune: “Madhuri Misal is Pune BJP President and I am in the party’s Core Committee. I will not let her position in the party be challenged in any way,” assured Minister of Rural Development, Women and Child Welfare Pankaja Munde while speaking in Pune.

She was present for Misal’s election campaign in the city on Sunday. Misal, who is the sitting MLA of Parvati, is presently campaigning for a third victory in the constituency this election season.

Expressing hope that Misal gets an even higher position than the city president in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Munde said, “I know I don’t need to say much here because I know that you all will vote for Misal. I am here only as her friend and I am sure she will be re-elected. There is no competition for her.”

While the BJP has always faced criticism for being anti-Muslim and anti-Dalit, Munde said BJP’s only motto is ‘Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas’. 

“Why didn’t the NCP leaders do anything for Pune when they were in power? When the BJP-Shiv Sena government led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis came to power, we gave priority to initiate the long pending work like metro in Pune. Further development of the IT and industrial sectors and employment generation for the youths in Pune continues to be our aim even now,” she said.

Referring to the NCP and Congress leaders in Baramati as ‘Punewale’ (those from Pune), Munde said that they were trying to instigate a fight in the BJP. “Apart from Baramati and Indapur, all other seats in Pune are with BJP-Shiv Sena alliance. I would advise the NCP to focus on themselves first, instead of peeping into what is happening in Beed,” she added.