MP Murlidhar Mohol upset with Dy-CM Ajit Pawar’s ‘support to ‘corrupt’ Maharashtra Olympic Association secretary

Pune: Minister of state for civil aviation and Pune MP Murlidhar Mohol of BJP on Thursday expressed his displeasure over Mahayuti partner and deputy CM Ajit Pawar's continued support to Maharashtra Olympic Association (MOA) secretary Namdev Shirgaonkar, saying the office-bearer's involvement in corrupt practices had harmed the state's sports ecosystem. Suraj Chavan, state general secretary of NCP, strongly refuted Mohol's allegation, saying it was politically motivated.Mohol's statement followed accusations that Shirgaonkar had misappropriated funds allocated for state sports over the past three years. An FIR in this regard was registered with the Pune police on Tuesday, following a complaint from Sandip Bhondwe, the working president of the Maharashtra State Wrestling Association that is affiliated with MOA.The Pune MP is set to contest against Pawar in the upcoming MOA elections scheduled for Nov 2 in Mumbai. Pawar, who heads NCP, has held the MOA president's post for the past 12 years. Talking to journalists, Mohol said, "Pawar himself has not done anything wrong, but he is supporting Shirgaonkar who is corrupt and has caused a lot of damage to Maharashtra sports and athletes."Political analysts suggested that Mohol's decision to contest against Pawar could complicate the state's political landscape, given the intricate dynamics at play. Mohol, however, downplayed any political implications, saying, "This will have no impact on state politics. My relationship with deputy CM Pawar at the state level is separate. The MOA election is a different matter altogether."When asked if he complained to Pawar about the wrongdoings by Shirgaonkar, Mohol said he had informed Pawar about Shirgaonkar's alleged misconduct, but no action was taken. "That's when we decided to take matters into our own hands. Our goal is to clean up the sports administration in the state so that athletes receive the support they deserve," he said.Attempts to reach Shirgaonkar remained unsuccessful till going to press as his phone was in switched off mode. NCP state general secretary Chavan, however, told TOI: "If the allegations were true, why did Mohol wait till the elections and not speak on it in the past? He is making these baseless statements after realising that he would be defeated in the elections."Chavan said, "The sports bodies are required to submit their annual report on income and expenditure. More than 80 percent of the sports bodies have submitted the report. Those who have not submitted the report are close associates of Mohol. He should first speak about them."Shirgaonkar is accused of misappropriating Rs 12.45 crore allocated by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to the MOA for the National Games held in Gujarat (2022), Goa (2023), and Uttarakhand (2025). The funds were intended for athlete equipment, sportswear, coaching camps, and travel expenses. Mohol said Shirgaonkar failed to submit audited financial reports by the March 31 deadline.Additionally, Shirgaonkar is alleged to have manipulated state federation affiliations—sidelining nationally recognized bodies in favor of those lacking such recognition but aligned with him.