Nagpur: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has assigned BJP corporator Avinash Thakre to look after party’s affairs in Katol legislative assembly constituency. The move is being seen as a plan to tackle BJP MLA Ashish Deshmukh who has been vociferous against the party for some time now.Three-time corporator Thakre is a close aide of Fadnavis having won from ward no. 35 which falls in the CM’s South-West constituency.Confirming the new charge, Thakre said, “I have been asked to resolve issues raised by the people as well as BJP leaders and workers in the constituency. I am overseeing the gram panchayat (GP) elections slated for Wednesday.”Asked whether he would be contesting from Katol in the next assembly elections, Thakre, who has been campaigning since August 1, said he will follow party directives.Deshmukh clinched Katol for himself and the party for the first time defeating his own uncle Anil Deshmukh who is a senior NCP leader and former minister in 2014. Though BJP has been quiet on statehood for Vidarbha, Deshmukh is openly speaking about it.He has also made statements criticizing Fadnavis and Union minister Nitin Gadkari. The Katol MLA is also maintaining close relations with national leaders like Yashwant Sinha, Shatrughan Singh and others who have spoken out against the BJP.Deshmukh threw the gauntlet at Thakre. “I challenge the BJP to win from Katol without my support. Thakre is like a guest here and we welcome him,” he said.The MLA said it is he who has support in Katol and not BJP. “All workers under BJP are actually my supporters. I won the elections and not the BJP,” said Deshmukh.Thakre said BJP has finalized its 63 members who will contest the sarpanch’s post. The party has formed an alliance for the remaining 22 seats and will contest with Shiv Sena and other panels.The GP elections will be the first test for Thakre in Katol, a place where he has no connections. An IT engineer by profession, Thakre was probably given the charge as he is from the Mali community which has a huge presence in Katol. Sources also said that Thakre is a “hard worker and has helped party expand into areas dominated by Congress and others in the city”.Thakre won the municipal elections from areas like Narendra Nagar, Somalwada, Chinchbhuvan and Manish Nagar which were completely dominated by the Congress.The BJP corporator recently convinced Charan Singh Thakur to join BJP. Thakur is the ruling party leader in Katol municipal council and his panel had swept the elections last year.Anil Deshmukh did not comment on Thakre’s appointment. “It is BJP’s internal matter,” is all he said.If Thakre manages to win Katol for his party, he will become the third BJP corporator after Chandrapur MLA Nana Shamkule and Gondia-Bhandara MLC Parinay Fuke to manage victory outside the city.

Stay updated with all the Latest Nagpur headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.