BJP vs Sharad Pawar's Party Over Ailing Leaders Voting In Key Polls

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday hit back at the Nationalist Congress Party's Ajit Pawar for claiming "selfish" leaders of the BJP got two terminally-ill MLAs in ambulances from Pune to Mumbai to vote in the MLC and Rajya Sabha polls.

Kasba MLA Mukta Tilak and Chinchwad legislator Laxman Jagtap had arrived in ambulances at the Legislature complex in Mumbai to vote for the BJP in the two polls held in June last year, both of which were close contests with every vote crucial for the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi and the opposition.

Speaking at a rally earlier in the day for the Chinchwad bypoll, necessitated by the death of Jagtap, senior NCP leader Pawar said, "This exertion was unbearable for them (Tilak and Jagtap) but they remained silent for the party. The BJP should have understood health is more important than polls but these selfish people (BJP leaders) did not pay heed."

Hitting back, Mr Fadnavis said, "We have leaders in our party who will give their blood and life for the party. We are proud of them. We do not have selfish leaders like the ones found in the NCP."

Mr Fadnavis was in Dombivali in Thane to attend a two-day conclave connected to the Brahmin community.

Bypolls to Chinchwad and Kasba in Pune district, necessitated by the deaths of Jagtap and Tilak, respectively, will be held on February 26.

Mr Tilak died on December 22 last year, while Mr Jagtap died on January 3 this year.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)