After 25 leaders, including Pimpri-Chinchwad unit chief Ajit Gavhane, quit the party and joined the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), NCP leader and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday held a meeting with party leaders at Pune Circuit House.
Ajit said, “I met the party office bearers, and we discussed several civic issues.” He has again called a meeting with his supporters on July 21.
Besides Gavhane, senior NCP leaders from Pimpri-Chinchwad unit, Rahul Bhosale, Pankaj Bhalekar and Yash Sane, quit the party on Tuesday and joined the NCP(SP).
Gawane who left the party considered as a supporter of MLA Vilas Lande. It was considered that Lande would also join NCP (SP) but surprisingly he attended the meeting held by Ajit.
Meanwhile, Sharad Pawar has also called a meeting with party workers on July 20.
The political developments also come amid growing dissent within the NCP after its poor show in the Lok Sabha elections, in which it bagged only one of the 48 seats. NCP functionaries earlier alleged that Ajit no longer shares an easy relationship with party heads in the ruling Mahayuti alliance.