The Bharatiya Janata Party has withdrawn the candidature of Pooja More-Jadhav from the upcoming Pune civic elections following strong objections from party workers after old video clips surfaced on social media.
More-Jadhav had recently received her AB form for Ward No. 2 in Pune, under the quota allotted to BJP’s ally, the Republican Party of India (RPI). However, her candidature quickly became controversial when archived videos began circulating online, allegedly showing her making personal remarks against Devendra Fadnavis and his wife during the Maratha reservation agitation.
The backlash from within the party prompted swift action. Union minister and Pune BJP MP Murlidhar Mohol confirmed that the party had officially withdrawn her nomination.
Responding to the development, More-Jadhav said she was unfairly targeted through social media trolling. She claimed that misinformation was deliberately spread to question her loyalty to the BJP’s ideology.
“I was portrayed as someone who does not believe in the party’s principles. Considering the level of trolling and misinformation, I decided to withdraw my nomination voluntarily,” she said.
She also maintained that the controversial remarks seen in the videos were not made by her and alleged that statements by “some other girl” were wrongly attributed to her by online trolls.
The episode has once again highlighted how past social media content can significantly impact political careers, especially during election season, forcing parties to act swiftly to avoid internal discord and reputational damage.
