Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jan 20 (NationPress) Tensions escalated within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) local unit on Tuesday when discontented party members halted the vehicle of Maharashtra Minister Atul Save.

The demonstrators, mainly active in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, organized a protest urging the party to 'sever ties' with Shiv Sena and NCP and contest the forthcoming Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections independently.

The high-drama incident occurred while Minister Atul Save was navigating through the city. A substantial group of party members and potential candidates obstructed his vehicle, encircling it while chanting slogans against the seat-sharing arrangements of the 'Mahayuti' alliance.

Eyewitnesses noted that the workers voiced significant dissatisfaction regarding the perceived 'marginalization of loyalists' in favor of coalition partners. The atmosphere intensified as workers confronted the Minister about the allocation of 'AB forms' (party nomination letters), accusing that traditional BJP strongholds were being compromised to favor candidates from the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP.

The main concern raised by the workers is the deprivation of chances for grassroots BJP members who have dedicated years to their respective wards and Zilla Parishad circles. The protesters presented a direct ultimatum to the party leadership.

The party members insisted that the BJP contest the Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections based solely on its own strength. These elections are scheduled for February 5, with results being counted on February 7.

They emphasized that the alliance is demoralizing the local cadre and asserted that the party possesses enough individual strength to secure victories without partners.

Minister Atul Save, caught in the middle of the confrontation, tried to calm the crowd by assuring them that their concerns would be communicated to the party's high command, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Save remarked that seat-sharing is a 'strategic decision' made at the state level but recognized the fervor of the local workers' sentiments.

Polling for the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti has been overdue for quite some time. As the state prepares for elections, competition for tickets has reached critical levels.

Since the establishment of the MahaYuti government (BJP, Shiv Sena-Shinde, and NCP-Ajit Pawar), managing local-level coordination has proven challenging. In several areas of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, the BJP and the Shinde-led Shiv Sena have historically been rivals.

Forcing these two factions to collaborate or requesting one to concede a seat to the other has resulted in numerous instances of internal strife.

As a significant urban and rural center in Marathwada, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar serves as a crucial battleground. The BJP workers are concerned that if they relinquish seats now, they may permanently lose their local organizational base to their alliance partners.

This 'Gherao' of a senior minister like Atul Save underscored the widening gap between the state leadership's alliance strategy and the on-ground reality faced by party workers.