Blow for Ajit Pawar in Pimpri-Chinchwad, 25 leaders join Sharad Pawar
25 NCP leaders, including Pimpri-Chinchwad unit chief, quit to join NCP(SP) ahead of Maharashtra elections, citing faith in Sharad Pawar's leadership.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) suffered a major jolt after 25 leaders, including Pimpri-Chinchwad unit chief Ajit Gavhane, quit the party and joined the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) or NCP(SP) on Wednesday, ahead of the crucial Maharashtra assembly elections later this year.
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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) at party chief Sharad Pawar’s residence in Pune on Wednesday. The remaining members who switched sides are former corporators.
“We have joined Sharad Pawar’s party. We believe only this party can take Pimpri-Chinchwad and the rest of Maharashtra forward,” Gavhane said.
The NCP split in July last year after Ajit Pawar and some MLAs broke away from Sharad Pawar and joined the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. Ajit Pawar took oath as deputy chief minister alongside eight other loyalist lawmakers who took charge as ministers.
Gavhane claimed the development work done by the BJP in Pimpri-Chinchwad, an NCP stronghold for three decades, was different from that done by both Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar. Until 2017, the undivided NCP controlled the area’s civic body.
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“If you look at Pimpri-Chinchwad, both Ajit dada and Pawar sahab had contributed to its development. But since 2017, the BJP has been ruling PPMC (Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation). The development work here was done in the wrong way, especially if you look at other constituencies. There was rampant corruption here, and the sitting MLA is responsible for it,” he said, referring to Mahesh Landge, BJP MLA from Bhosari.
Asked if he is interested in contesting the upcoming state assembly elections, Gavhane said: “Yes, I am.”
According to NCP functionaries aware of the details, Gavhane seeks to contest the assembly elections from Bhosari constituency, which is currently held by BJP’s Mahesh Landge and who is likely to seek re-election. Pimpri-Chinchwad comprises three assembly seats – Bhosari, Pimpri and Chinchwad.
On being asked leaders from Ajit Pawar-led NCP leaders and ex-Corporators from Pimpri Chinchwad joined Sharad Pawar-led NCP-SCP, Maharashtra Minister Chhagan Bhujbal said, “When the elections are near, it is normal that people go from here to there or there to here. They think that they will not get the ticket so they want to contest from another party... This will keep on happening for the next 3-4 months...”
BJP leaders from Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad preferred not to react saying it is between the two parties.
With the tenure of the Maharashtra assembly set to end on November 26 (Correct), the state is scheduled to go to the polls later this year.
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 Pawar no longer shares an easy relationship with party heads in the ruling Mahayuti alliance.
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Party functionaries said the departure of four key leaders from the Pimpri-Chinchwad unit could result in more defections in the area.
Meanwhile, NCP(SP) working president Supriya Sule said Sharad Pawar has been working for development in Maharashtra and at the Centre for the last 60 years, and even people from the Opposition look at him with great hope.
“I think many people in the party have different experiences. We have always ensured that our ideology of development remains strong. Pawar sahab (Sharad Pawar) has been continuously working for development in Maharashtra and at the Centre for the last 60 years. We have faith in Pawar sahab’s ideology, and at the same time, many people in the Opposition also look towards him with great hopes, which is why people are joining him,” she told ANI.