Ex-MP Anand Paranjpe quits NCP, joins Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena

Former MP Anand Paranjpe resigned from NCP and joined Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, citing dissatisfaction with party leadership over election candidacy.

MUMBAI: Former Member of Parliament Anand Paranjpe on Thursday resigned from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in Mumbai, becoming the first senior leader to quit the party after Sunetra Pawar took over its leadership following Ajit Pawar’s death in Baramati on January 28.

Ex-MP Anand Paranjpe quits NCP, joins Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena

Paranjpe submitted his resignation from the party’s primary membership and all organisational posts to NCP president Sunetra Pawar earlier in the day. Within hours, he joined the Shiv Sena at Balasaheb Bhavan in the presence of Shiv Sena parliamentary party leader Shrikant Shinde and state ministers Uday Samant and Dadaji Bhuse.

Paranjpe had reportedly been unhappy over not being considered by the NCP leadership for candidature in the Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections. According to party insiders, he had been assured a Rajya Sabha or MLC berth on multiple occasions, but his name was dropped at the last moment.

Sources said Paranjpe was hopeful of being accommodated either in the recently held Rajya Sabha elections or the biennial Legislative Council polls. However, the party leadership chose Parth Pawar, son of NCP chief Sunetra Pawar, for the Rajya Sabha candidature, while Zeeshan Siddique was fielded for the Legislative Council elections.

“On May 1, he met Eknath Shinde where he was offered a Lok Sabha ticket. It was then that he decided to jump ship,” an NCP insider revealed.

In his resignation letter, Paranjpe announced that he was stepping down as the party’s general secretary, spokesperson and coordinator for Thane and Palghar districts. Thanking NCP leaders, office-bearers and workers for their support over the last 14 years, he said, “With a heavy heart, I end my association with NCP to start a new journey.”

Welcoming Paranjpe back into the party after a 14-year hiatus, Shrikant Shinde highlighted the long-standing ties between the Paranjpe and Shinde families.

“Anand Paranjpe and the Shinde family have shared a close relationship since his earlier stint with the Shiv Sena. Even during his time with the NCP, he fulfilled the responsibilities given to him without expectations,” Shinde said, adding that Paranjpe’s organisational skills would be a major asset to the party.

Speaking after joining the Shiv Sena, Paranjpe said the party remained deeply rooted in his identity.

“The soul of Shiv Sena is its organisation. Whatever responsibility the organisation assigns me, I will fulfill it,” he said.

He further added, “I inherited the legacy of Shiv Sena from my home itself. I became a Member of Parliament twice because of Shiv Sena, and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde had a major contribution in that. Even though I was in another party, Shiv Sena’s DNA has always remained within me.”

Paranjpe also praised deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde’s style of governance, saying he was impressed by his work for the common man.

Son of veteran Shiv Sena leader late Prakash Paranjpe, Anand Paranjpe had quit the Shiv Sena in 2012 and joined the NCP ahead of the 2014 general elections. He later sided with Ajit Pawar after the latter joined the Mahayuti government in July 2023, a move that triggered a split within the NCP.

A two-time Lok Sabha member, Paranjpe had won the Kalyan parliamentary seat on a Shiv Sena ticket in 2009. However, he lost the 2014 Lok Sabha election from Kalyan to Shrikant Shinde of the undivided Shiv Sena.

Both the NCP and Shiv Sena are currently constituents of the ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra, along with the BJP.