Narendra Patil gets plum govt post, quits NCP, may join BJP

Despite not being officially inducted into the ruling fold, Patil was appointed as the head of a government-run corporation — Annasaheb Patil Finance Development Corporation — by Fadnavis on Friday.

Three days after he was appointed as the head of a government corporation by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, labour leader Narendra Patil left the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday. He is likely to join the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Despite not being officially inducted into the ruling fold, Patil was appointed as the head of a government-run corporation — Annasaheb Patil Finance Development Corporation — by Fadnavis on Friday.

This development has come has a victory for Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. (Bachchan Kumar/HT File)

The corporation has been tasked to provide interest-free loans including personal and group loans to youths from the Maratha community to make them self-reliant. Patil also comes from the Maratha community, which is agitating for 16% reservation in government jobs and education.

“It was difficult to continue in NCP as CM Fadnavis has appointed me as the head of the corporation from the BJP quota. I accepted the position to work for my community,” Patil said. He said he would join the BJP if he got a formal offer from Fadnavis.

“The Maratha community would not have had to agitate and their situation would have been better, had this corporation was effectively used during the previous Congress-NCP regime,” Patil said.

In May, HT had reported that Patil is likely to join BJP, following his close friend Niranjan Davkhare, former NCP member of Legislative Council (MLC). Patil is a known union leader working for the cause of Mathadi workers in the state. He was also an MLC from the NCP and his term ended only in July this year.

Patil will join the league of several other NCP leaders who have joined the BJP in the last four years since the party came to power in 2014. Former minister Dr Vijaykumar Gavit, his daughter and MP Heena Gavit, former ministers Babanrao Pachpute, Sanjay Savkare, Suresh Dhas and MP Sanjay Kaka Patil have left the NCP only to join BJP.