25 leaders meet Sharad Pawar in past one week
Many of the visitors at Sharad Pawar’s residence aspire to contest in the upcoming Maharashtra assembly polls
PUNE: There was a flood of visitors at the Modi Baug residence of Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief, Sharad Pawar, on Monday, many of them being aspiring candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly polls. According to party sources, nearly 25 leaders met Pawar over the past week to discuss potential nominations. While some leaders publicly acknowledged meeting the NCP (SP) chief, others preferred to be discreet.
On Monday, Madha member of legislative assembly (MLA) Baban Shinde, a six-time legislator, met Pawar, reportedly to seek an NCP (SP) ticket for his son, Ranjit Shinde. “I came to meet Sharad Pawar at his residence, and we had a good discussion,” Baban Shinde said without divulging any further details. Recently, Baban had urged Madha voters to elect his son.
Former MLA Vilas Lande and Congress leader Aba Bagul were also among those who met Pawar the same day. Lande, a close ally of Ajit Pawar from Pimpri-Chinchwad, is vying for an NCP (SP) nomination from the Bhosari assembly seat which is likely to remain with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the seat-sharing agreement. Presently, Mahesh Landge of the BJP represents the Bhosari constituency.
Bagul, eager to contest the upcoming assembly polls, is lobbying for the NCP (SP) to leave the Parvati assembly seat to the Congress. The Parvati constituency is currently represented by BJP MLA Madhuri Misal. “We have requested Sharad Pawar not to contest from the Parvati constituency and leave it for the Congress instead as it has traditionally been aligned with our party. If Congress gets the chance, we are confident of securing a victory there,” said Bagul after meeting Pawar.
NCP (SP) spokesperson Ankush Kakade confirmed, “It is true that more than 25 leaders met Pawar over the past week. As elections approach, many are considering political alignments and are meeting our party president to discuss their options. We’ve already inducted a few leaders, and others are in line.”
According to sources, minister Dilip Walse-Patil’s wife and daughter too met Pawar but neither side confirmed the same. This has sparked speculation that Walse-Patil may be considering returning to the Sharad Pawar side, particularly as Pawar has been actively working in the Manchar region, bolstering the political position of Walse-Patil’s rival, Devdutta Nikam. Some sources said that Pawar has held discreet meetings, including while travelling by private plane, though these reports remain unconfirmed.
Rumour has it that even Hadapsar MLA Chetan Tupe met the NCP (SP) chief. Tupe is currently with the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) and is likely to get a ticket from Hadapsar. According to sources, Tupe is trying to assuage Sharad Pawar to keep poll prospects intact.
Many leaders who previously aligned with Ajit Pawar are now reconsidering their position and looking to return to the Sharad Pawar camp, especially as the seat-sharing arrangement may leave them without a ticket. The NCP (SP) is seen as a favourable option due to the higher success rate in elections despite having fewer sitting MLAs.
Earlier this month, Raje Samarjeetsinh Ghatge, a descendant of Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, joined the NCP (SP) and last week, local leader Rajesh Patil too met Sharad Pawar.
Prashant Jagtap, president of the Pune city unit of the Sharad Pawar faction, said, “Many are eager to join us. When the party split, senior leaders left but the younger generation remained loyal to Sharad Pawar. With the growing support and positive atmosphere surrounding the NCP (SP), it is natural that more leaders will join us. In the coming days, we expect several leaders from Pune district and western Maharashtra to align with us.”
The NCP (SP) chief, however, has been cautious in terms of making any commitments regarding nominations to avoid causing unrest among party members. Kakade said, “Sharad Pawar has made it clear that any decisions about new candidates will only be taken after consulting local leaders and other party members.”