Sena’s Ravindra Dhangekar levels graft charges against BJP minister Murlidhar Mohol as alliance friction deepens in Maharashtra

The tussle within the BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, the ruling alliance partners in Maharashtra, went up a notch as Sena leader Ravindra Dhangekar levelled corruption allegations against Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and BJP MP Murlidhar Mohol.

Dhangekar, who is the Pune metropolitan unit chief of the Sena, had contested the Lok Sabha elections from Pune in 2024 as the Congress candidate and lost to Mohol. On Friday, he accused Mohol of working for realtors during his tenure as Pune mayor. “A real estate development firm had put up stickers of the mayor during Mohol’s term. Since then, his relationship with the real estate firm has flourished,” he added.

Dhangekar said he was fighting for Pune citizens as it was they who had elected Mohol to be the mayor, but the post got misused. “This has nothing to do with the tussle between the BJP and the Shiv Sena in Thane or Navi Mumbai. I will not stop exposing Mohol’s misuse of power even if I have to lose personally or professionally,” he said.

Amid calls for action against Dhangekar, state minister and Sena leader Uday Samant, who was instrumental in inducting him into the party from the Congress, said, “We cannot ignore the BJP leaders taking on the Shiv Sena in Thane and Navi Mumbai. If a demand is being made for action against Dhangekar, then the same needs to apply in Thane and Navi Mumbai,” he said.

The BJP, under the leadership of Ganesh Naik, has repeatedly stated that it wants to contest the civic polls independently in Shinde’s hometown. Shinde is a four-time MLA from the Kopri-Pachpakhadi Assembly constituency in Thane.

Have done nothing illegal: Murlidhar Mohol

Reacting to the allegations, minister Mohol said the media should not entertain Dhangekar as he has been lying repeatedly. “The real estate company used the mayor’s sticker on its vehicle because I was a partner of the firm and used the vehicle as a partner. In fact, during my 2.5-year term as the mayor, I used my own vehicle instead of the official vehicle,” he said, adding there was nothing illegal in this as it was declared in his election affidavit.

The Union Mos said Dhangekar had no work to do as he was rejected by citizens in the elections and is upset due to that.

Meanwhile, local BJP leaders are alleging that Shinde has expelled Dhangekar for levelling allegations against leaders of alliance partner BJP.

Dhangekar, on his part, said that BJP leaders have been spreading rumours that he was being expelled from the Shiv Sena. “I have not been given any instructions, and I will continue to expose wrong things. My party has always stood against injustice,” he said.