Mumbai: Union Minister of State (MoS) Murlidhar Mohol was a wrestler earlier than he entered lively politics. Now, the chief who rose via the ranks from being simply one other RSS karyakarta to now nearly the face of the Bharatiya Janata Occasion (BJP) in Pune, could have to return to his roots. Solely this time, as a substitute of a wrestling ring, Mohol finds himself sparring within the political enviornment as he grapples with one controversy after one other that threatens to undermine the picture he has cultivated for himself in Pune.

The most recent controversy over a contentious land deal is intertwined with alliance politics and the ire of the Jain neighborhood, which has been a most steadfast help base of the BJP in Maharashtra, making it troublesome for the celebration to hurry to Mohol’s defence.

Jain leaders and political rivals allege Mohol used his affect to facilitate the sale to the agency at a throwaway worth, as he was earlier a associate within the builder’s corporations. Nevertheless, developer Vishal Gokhale has since pulled out of the settlement, citing moral and ethical considerations. Gokhale additionally stated that he didn’t need to upset the Jain neighborhood.

Mohol has termed the allegations in opposition to him baseless.

The primary salvo in opposition to Mohol was fired by farm chief Raju Shetti of Kolhapur, himself a Jain, adopted by one other by Ravindra Dhangekar, the Pune chief of the Shiv Sena, an ally of the BJP. The Jain neighborhood too staged protested in opposition to 50-year-old Mohol final week.

Forward of the upcoming native physique polls, BJP finds itself trapped. On one facet is the load of the alliance, and on the opposite the danger of alienating the Jain neighborhood. That is one cause why CM Devendra Fadnavis, to whom Mohol is shut, didn’t rush to his defence.

“It was not potential for the BJP to defend him instantly except the deal was scrapped. Not that the BJP intentionally deserted him; it’s simply that they waited to see if the controversy would die down,” political analyst Abhay Deshpande informed ThePrint.

“Mohol is near Fadnavis. However, on the identical time, the BJP didn’t need to upset the Jain neighborhood as effectively,” he added.

Furthermore, with the BJP tightening its grip over Thane, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde’s bastion, the Shiv Sena appears to be utilizing Dhangekar to nook the BJP in Pune. Dhangekar’s fixed assaults have created tensions inside Mahayuti, prompting the BJP management to ask Shinde to rein him in. “I’ll converse to Dhangekar and ask him to stay affected person. But when motion needs to be taken in opposition to Dhangekar, then what about Navi Mumbai? Everybody is aware of who began it,” Industries Minister Uday Samant informed the media final week in a veiled assault on Ganesh Naik, a BJP minister concentrating on Shinde in Thane and Navi Mumbai. The BJP needs to strengthen itself in Thane and Navi Mumbai, the place each Sena and BJP have a vote financial institution.

---

Additionally Learn: The place is Nilesh Ghaiwal? Absconding Pune gangster’s political ties set off slugfest in Maharashtra

---

Controversy shatters picture

Murlidhar Mohol’s rise in politics has been placing. He started as a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) employee on the age of 12 and later joined BJP in 1996.

Over his 30-year political profession, he has held many key roles inside tBJP, together with basic secretary of the celebration’s Maharashtra unit. He turned a corporator for the primary time in 2002. A Maratha face, he was groomed by the celebration and made standing committee chairman of the Pune Municipal Company earlier than turning into mayor in 2019.

He served within the place till 2022. The celebration management gave him a ticket to contest the coveted Pune Lok Sabha seat in 2024. It was his maiden parliamentary election, and he win comfortably. He was then made a minister PM Narendra Modi’s cupboard.

He defeated Congress candidate Ravindra Dhangekar by 1,23,038 votes. Dhangekar has now switched sides to the Shiv Sena, which is a part of the ruling Mahayuti.

Hailing from Mulshi taluka in Pune, Mohol’s father migrated to the town for his kids’s schooling and higher job alternatives. He studied and graduated in Arts from Shivaji College in Kolhapur. Fondly generally known as Murli Anna, he’s additionally a ‘national-level wrestler’.

Over time, Mohol cultivated the picture of a classy, educated and younger face of the Pune BJP. For probably the most half, his profession was freed from controversy. Nevertheless, that picture was dented about two weeks in the past when the Jain Boarding land case surfaced.

Earlier this 12 months, the Seth Hirachand Nemachand Samarak Belief negotiated a land take care of Gokhale Landmarks for a 3.5-acre plot in Pune’s Mannequin Colony, which features a Jain boarding hostel and the Shri Bhagwan Mahavir Digambar Jain temple. This property was in-built 1958 for underprivileged college students. The trustees determined to promote the property because the hostel was in a dilapidated state. Based on the board, a decision was handed on 16 December, 2024, and a newspaper advert issued 4 days later, calling for bidders.

Gokhale Landmarks emerged as the very best bidder in January 2025 with a bid of Rs 230 crore. The petition was quickly given to the Charity Commissioner in February, and accredited in April 2025. The ultimate sale was carried out on 8 October.

Political rivals have accused Mohol of utilizing his affect to get Gokhale Landmarks the deal, and that too at a throwaway worth. Based on Mohol’s affidavit to the EC, he was a associate with two Gokhale Restricted Legal responsibility Partnerships (LLPs), however withdrew from each in November 2024, effectively earlier than the sale deed was finalised.

“There have been two LLPs with Gokhale, each have been partnership corporations. In 2023, Vishal Gokhale created two LLPs. In 2024, I withdrew my title from the partnership. I resigned on November 25, 2024. At the moment, there was not a single rupee transaction between us. I withdrew my title from the partnership 11 months earlier than the sale deed for the property was finalised by the builder and the belief,” Mohol informed the media.

“And, due to this fact, the allegations in opposition to me are baseless. It’s disheartening to see such false allegations being made in opposition to me,” he added

In the meantime, the Jain neighborhood has approached the Bombay HC in opposition to the deal. Final week, members of the neighborhood gheraoed Mohol when he went to satisfy Jain Muni Acharya Shri Guptinandji Maharaj. He assured them the matter could be resolved by 1 November.

On 27 October, Mohol went to the airport to obtain Union Minister Amit Shah, who landed in Mumbai for an occasion. The identical evening, the builders despatched out an electronic mail to the Jain board trustees that they have been withdrawing from the deal.

Different controversies

Aside from the land controversy, Dhangekar has levelled one other allegation in opposition to Mohol in reference to the Balbharati-Paud Phata Street, which works via Vetal Tekdi, the final inexperienced bastion within the metropolis. He alleged that Mohol was instrumental in utilizing his affect as a mayor to assist builders develop a venture in an environmentally delicate zone.

Additional, he additionally alleged that Mohol used a white Innova Crysta with an official authorities plate of the Pune Municipal Company when he was the mayor.

He claimed that the automotive didn’t belong to Mohol nor was it an official Pune Municipal Company car, nevertheless it belonged to a Kothrud builder named Badhekar, who was within the second place within the public sale to purchase the Jain Hostel.

“Whereas holding the constitutional publish of Mayor within the Pune Municipal Company, is it moral for the Mayor to make use of a non-public businessman’s car?” he added.

पुणे शहराचे खासदार व केंद्रीय राज्यमंत्री मुरलीधर मोहोळ यांचा जैन होस्टेल खरेदी प्रकरणात सहभाग असल्याचे अनेक पुरावे पुणेकरांनी गेल्या काही दिवसात पाहिले आहेत. परंतु तरी देखील ते या सर्व गोष्टी योगायोग असलेले सांगतात.

मी आपणास काही माहिती देऊ इच्छितो,मोहोळ हे खासदार होण्याच्या… pic.twitter.com/01zmvCUrnj

— Ravindra Dhangekar Official (@DhangekarRavii) October 23, 2025

“Dhangekar had fought in opposition to Mohol within the Lok Sabha, and in Pune, they’re rivals. In addition to, there are private problems with Dhangekar that is also the explanation why he’s concentrating on Mohol,” defined Deshpande.

(Edited by Sugita Katyal)

---