This is an archive article published on February 5, 2023
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Injustice done… (but) will continue to work for BJP: Mukta Tilak’s family
Soon after announcing Rasane's candidature on Saturday, the party rushed one of its top leaders to the residence of Mukta Tilak. Girish Bapat interacted with the family and urged them to continue working for it.
The party rushed one of its top leaders to the residence of deceased MLA Mukta Tilak to placate the family which had been gearing up to contest the seat.
A DAY after the BJP announced Hemant Rasane as its candidate for Kasba Peth bypoll, skipping the kin of Mukta Tilak in the process, the husband of the deceased MLA said that injustice had been done to the memory of his wife. Shailesh Tilak, however, made it clear that the Tilak family would continue to support the BJP.
“We knew it was coming. When Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met us on Friday, he had given indications that the ticket will not be given to us. But we were hoping that it will finally come our way… We feel that injustice has been done to the memory of my wife who worked relentlessly for the party and Kasba constituency,” Mukta’s husband Shailesh Tilak told The Indian Express on Sunday.
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Asked whether the family will work for the party candidate, Shailesh said, “We have already started working for this election to help the party and we will continue our work.”
Soon after announcing Rasane’s candidature on Saturday, the party rushed one of its top leaders to the residence of Mukta Tilak. Girish Bapat interacted with the family and urged them to continue working for it.
Though jolted by the denial of ticket, the Tilak family has agreed to support the party. In a bid to ease the situation, Mukta’s son Kunal Tilak has been elevated as a party spokesperson. Kunal is also the editor of the party’s Yuva Morcha magazine.
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On Rasane, Shailesh Tilak said, “Rasane came to meet us in the evening after his name was announced…He has not sought our support so far.”
A former corporator, Rasane has thrice served as the standing committee chairperson of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). His name had been doing rounds for quite some time before Rasane finally got the nod.
The Tilak family also seemed upset for being overlooked even as deceased BJP MLA Laxman Jagtap’s wife has been given the ticket for the Chinchwad bypoll. “They should have applied a similar yardstick for us,” Shailesh said.
In addition, the Tilaks also seemed irked with “those who worked with Mukta Tilak” not proposing her husband’s name for the bypoll. “There is a very short period to go before the current MLA’s term ends. Those who worked with my wife should have at least proposed the name of her family member for this short period, but they did not,” Shailesh Tilak said.
He pointed out that there is no MLA from the Brahmin community in Pune. “If representation had been given to the Brahmin community, it would have been better. Currently, there are no MLAs from the community,” he said.
The party rushed one of its top leaders to the residence of deceased MLA Mukta Tilak to placate the family which had been gearing up to contest the seat.
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