Former Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader and former MLA Mahadev Babar joined the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday, marking a significant political shift ahead of upcoming elections. Babar, a prominent political figure in the Hadapsar-Kondhwa area, began his career with Shiv Sena and has previously served as the deputy mayor of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).
Despite Kondhwa being a Muslim-majority area, Babar had consistently secured victories in the constituency during his time with Shiv Sena, earning a reputation as a grassroots leader.
Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar welcomed Babar into the party and encouraged him and other new entrants to work toward strengthening the organisation at the grassroots level.
“We must function as one NCP family and expand our presence across every district of Maharashtra,” Pawar said, urging leaders to focus on mass membership drives and organisational growth.