PUNE: Nationalist Congress Party leader Amol Balwadkar on Sunday delivered an emotional and combative address at the Vijayi Sankalp Sabha organised for PMC Ward No 9 in the Pashan, Sus and Baner area, highlighting what he termed as betrayal by the local BJP leadership and reaffirming his resolve to fight back through the democratic process.Balwadkar said he had spent over 11 years working at the grassroots to strengthen the party, driven by ambition, commitment and faith in senior leadership. “I come from a middle-class family and entered politics not for power, but to build a party and serve people. Ambition is natural, but I always respected senior leaders and their decisions,” he said.Recalling the denial of candidature just hours before nominations closed, Balwadkar said the incident was deeply painful, particularly because promises had been made in front of his parents. “If there was courage, I should have been told the truth earlier. The betrayal hurt my family more than me,” he said.Balwadkar credited NCP leader Ajit Pawar for giving him a “new innings” in politics at a crucial moment. “When everything seemed dark, Ajit Dada stood by me. That support gave me a new life in politics,” he said, asserting that he would respond to injustice through the people’s mandate.He urged voters to support the NCP panel, stating that the election was not just about a ward but about restoring dignity to honest political workers and bringing accountable leadership to the PMC.
