Nagpur: Prominent tribal leader from Vidarbha and staunch supporter of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, former minister Dharmarao Baba Atram, launched a scathing attack against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during a regional gathering of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Nagpur.
Atram made a sensational claim that the BJP attempted to defeat him in the last Assembly elections. “The BJP made efforts to ensure my defeat. Financial support was extended to my opponent, and both the BJP and the Congress helped the rival candidate. Yet, I emerged victorious,” Atram said during his address.
Despite winning the election and becoming an MLA, Atram was not included in the current cabinet, although he held a ministerial post in the previous government.
Sending a strong message ahead of the upcoming local body elections, Atram declared that he would not seek seat-sharing arrangements or support from other parties. “We will not beg for seats nor rely on anyone’s crutches. In Gadchiroli, we will make no compromises,” he stated, indicating a possible independent approach. He added, “The party will stand with us, and we will bring power to local self-government bodies in Gadchiroli on our own strength.”
His remarks hint at a potential rift within the Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), and the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), which has so far maintained that it will contest the local elections together.
Meanwhile, following a Supreme Court directive, local body elections are expected to be held across Maharashtra before Diwali. All political parties, including those within the Mahayuti alliance, have begun preparations. However, Atram’s statements raise questions about internal unity within the alliance, particularly in regions like Gadchiroli.
