NCP suspends six Solapur members for backing BJP in zilla parishad polls

Those suspended by the NCP include, Swaruparani Mohite Patil, Sheetaladevi Mohite Patil, Arun Todkar, Sunanda Phule, Ganesh Patil and Mangal Patil

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has suspended six zilla parishad (ZP) members from Solapur belonging to the Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil (NCP leader) faction, for supporting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the recently held local body elections.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has suspended six zilla parishad (ZP) members from Solapur belonging to the Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil (NCP leader) faction, for supporting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the recently held local body elections.(HT/PHOTO)

The six suspended members include two family members of Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil. The suspension promoted a sharp reaction from Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil’s family.

The move by the zilla parishad members led to the defeat of NCP candidates for the post of zilla parishad president and vice-president in Solapur.

Those suspended by the NCP include, Swaruparani MohitePatil, Sheetaladevi Mohite-Patil, Arun Todkar, Sunanda Phule, Ganesh Patil and Mangal Patil.

Vijaysinh’s elder brother Jaysinh Mohite-Patil, has questioned the party “not acting” against Ajit Pawar, when he was sworn-in along with Devendra Fadnavis in the BJP’s ill-attempt to form the state government in the immediated aftermath of the Assembly elections in 2019.

Jaysinh Mohite-Patil said, “If the party has guts, it should first act against Ajit Pawar, Nationalist Congress Party leader and current deputy chief minister, for forming a government with the Bharatiya Janata Party which lasted three days. The Nationalist Congress Party has no moral right to act against party members.”

Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil, a senior NCP leader, saw his relationship with the part strained during last year’s Lok Sabha polls when his son Ranjitsinh joined the BJP.

Jaysinh Mohite-Patil’s remarks came days after Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil shared the dais with Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar in Pune, for the annual general body meeting of the Vasantdada Sugar Institute on December 25, 2019.

Pawar invited Mohite-Patil to sit in the front row and spent 30 minutes chatting with him, sparking speculation about a possible patch-up between the NCP elders.