A new controversy has emerged for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the Pune Municipal Corporation elections in 2026. The party has revoked the ticket of its female candidate, Pooja More Jadhav.
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has withdrawn the ticket of its female candidate, Pooja More Jadhav, for the Pune Municipal Corporation elections. Pooja More Jadhav was contesting from Ward No. 2 under the quota of the party's ally, RPI, in the BMC elections scheduled for January 15th. Pooja Jadhav had initially been provided with the AB form (a crucial document for filing nominations) by the BJP. However, an old video of her went viral on social media, following which the party decided to withdraw her candidacy from the seat.
Viral Video and Controversy
This video of Pooja More Jadhav was recorded during the Maratha reservation movement. Her statements in the video were deemed controversial, as she made comments against CM Fadnavis and his family. Following the video's viral spread on social media, the BJP faced increasing political and electoral pressure.
The BJP took this seriously and, distancing itself from the controversy, revoked Pooja More Jadhav’s ticket. Central Minister and BJP MP from Pune, Muraleedhar Mohol, confirmed this in a conversation with the media.
BJP Decides to Cancel Ticket
Pooja More Jadhav herself attributed this decision to the result of social media trolling. She stated, “False information about me was spread, and an attempt was made to portray that I do not believe in the ideology of the BJP. Considering the trolling and misunderstandings, I decided to withdraw my nomination thoughtfully.”
Pooja also claimed that the statements regarding Chief Minister Fadnavis in the video were made by someone else, but were presented on social media as if they were her own. This incident posed a challenge for the BJP, as the controversy could impact the party's image and electoral strategy ahead of the municipal elections.
BJP's Preparations for the Pune Municipal Elections
The BJP had made full preparations for the Pune Municipal Corporation elections scheduled for January 15th. Pooja More Jadhav’s candidacy from the RPI quota in Ward No. 2 was considered important for the party. However, due to the video controversy, the party has revised its electoral strategy. The BJP has begun preparations to field a new candidate in place of the female candidate. The party believes that this step was necessary to safeguard the electoral image and prevent the controversy from escalating.
