Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Kothrud MLA Medha Kulkarni on Thursday filed her nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for February 27, expressing gratitude to senior party leaders for entrusting her with this responsibility. "I express my heartfelt gratitude to the senior leaders of my party for giving me this responsibility. A lot of faith and confidence has been shown in me, and I will make an honest effort to give justice to this opportunity. I thank you all for the wishes showered on me. Eternally grateful," she wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Reflecting on her nomination, the 54-year-old leader said she has been given a great opportunity by her party to work for the people. "I am very happy. I have been given a great opportunity by my party to work for the people. Earlier I got to work at the national level as the Vice President of the Rashtriya Mahila Morcha. Now I have got a huge opportunity," Kulkarni said. "In addition to the party agenda, I will also raise the issues of Pune," she added.
Kulkarni, who served thrice as a corporator in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and a legislator from Kothrud, was denied a party ticket in the 2019 Assembly elections to accommodate then-Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil. Since then, she has adopted an aggressive stance against Patil and the local leadership of Kothrud for allegedly sidelining her deliberately. She had alleged that rivals within the party are attempting to "erase her political existence" and that the BJP disregards her loyalty. She also had taken a stand in favour of protecting the hills from infrastructure development in Pune, which was against the Patil-led local BJP leadership’s decision.
BJP ticks 3 boxes with Kulkarni's nomination
With Kulkarni's nomination, the BJP has addressed several key considerations for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Firstly, the saffron party has pacified the Brahmin community in Pune. The denial of a party ticket to Kulkarni in the 2019 election from Kothrud to make way for a non-Brahmin Patil had angered the community. This discontent was further fueled after Hemant Rasane, an OBC candidate, was fielded for the Kasba Assembly bypoll, which the BJP eventually lost.
Secondly, by nominating a woman candidate, the BJP has also secured some brownie points among women voters. Additionally, Kulkarni is considered close to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leadership and has aligned with the Sangh’s directives even while serving as an elected representative in the past. The Sangh Parivar recently declared its plan to encourage and empower women to advance its ideology.
Lastly, the BJP has demonstrated its commitment to rewarding loyalty. The party has faced accusations of recruiting leaders from other parties and immediately elevating them to higher positions. However, by selecting Kulkarni, the party is seen as sending a message that loyal party workers will be prioritised.
