Another NCP Maharashtra MLA Avdhut Tatkare resigns

In another jolt to the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), its MLA Avdhut Tatkare resigned from his position on Thursday.

In another jolt to the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), its MLA Avdhut Tatkare resigned from his position on Thursday. Avdhut said he will be joining the Shiv Sena in the coming days.

Raigad, India - Oct. 11, 2014: Avdhoot Anil Tatkare, NCP candidate in Shrivardhan constituency in India, on Saturday, October 11, 2014. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

Avdhut represents Shrivardhan Assembly constituency of Raigad district. He will be the seventh sitting MLA who has left the party in the last few months. Avdhut submitted his resignation at office of the speaker Haribhau Bagade. The speaker, who is in Aurangabad, is yet to accept the resignation.

“Yes, I have resigned from my position. I will join the Shiv Sena in the days to come,” Avdhut said. “I wanted to join Sena,” he added, when asked what made him leave the NCP.

In the seat-sharing agreement between the BJP and Shiv Sena, Shrivardhan is with the Sena. Avdhut is the son of NCP MP Sunil Tatkare’s elder brother Anil. Differences between the brothers (Sunil and Anil) came to the fore when Sandeep Tatkare, another son of Anil Tatkare, contested municipal council polls, against NCP candidate Santosh Potfode in Roha of Raigad district. Anil Tatkare too had campaigned for his son. Sandeep lost the elections despite having Sena’s support. The family dispute deepened even further after Sunil Tatkare in 2018 chose his son Aniket for the MLC seat vacated after Anil Tatkare completed his six-year term.

So far, NCP MLAs namely Vaibhav Pichad, Dilip Sopal, Sandeep Naik, Jaydutt Kshirsagar, Pandurang Barora, Rana Jagjitsinh and many other senior leaders have joined either the BJP or Shiv Sena.