Rival factions in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) got together on Friday when the party’s renovated office was inaugurated by the party’s state president, Sudhir Mungantiwar.
On the occasion, Mungantiwar urged the activists to keep the party united. The city office of the BJP now has a meeting hall, closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and video conferencing facility with links to the party’s state unit office in Mumbai.
MLC Chandrakant Patil; BJP city president, Vikas Mathkari; MLAs Madhuri Misal and Bhimrao Tapkir; group leader of BJP in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Mukta Tilak: chairman of PMC standing committee, Ganesh Bidkar; former state minister, Dilip Kamble; former MP Pradeep Rawat; and former BJP city president, Vijay Kale were present.
Except for former city unit president, Anil Shirole and former city general secretary, Yogesh Gogawale, most of the local leaders of the Gopinath Munde faction attended the inauguration. Former city president and MLA Girish Bapat could not attend the event as he was out of town.
Vikas Mathkari was appointed city president in May. His appointment was strongly opposed by the Munde faction.
Mungantiwar said activists should keep the party united and take decisions in the interest of the common man.
