NCP MLA Dilip Sopal quits party to join Sena

In another jolt to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Dilip Sopal, its senior MLA from Barshi Assembly constituency in Solapur, on Monday resigned from the party.

In another jolt to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Dilip Sopal, its senior MLA from Barshi Assembly constituency in Solapur, on Monday resigned from the party. A former minister, Sopal is likely to join the Shiv Sena on Wednesday.

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“I have resigned from the party. I will join the Shiv Sena soon. I am doing what people from my constituency want me to do,” Sopal said. He told HT he had intimated NCP chief Sharad Pawar about the decision.

Meanwhile, NCP heavyweight and former MP from Osmanabad, Padmasinh Patil, and his son and MLA Rana Jagjitsinh Patil skipped the Shiv Swarajya Yatra of the party in Osmanabad on Monday. This led to speculations that the duo may also defect from the NCP. They are said to be joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The Shiv Swarajya Yatra is the NCP’s statewide campaign ahead of the state Assembly elections, led by former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and party MP and Marathi actor Amol Kolhe, along with other senior NCP leaders. On Monday, the yatra reached Osmanabad, where Padmasinh and his son were expected to be present. Kolhe was elected the party’s MP from Shirur Lok Sabha constituency in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Padmasinh, a former minister, considered to be close aide of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, is also related to Pawar’s nephew Ajit Pawar’s wife. Jagjitsinh represents the Osmanabad assembly constituency, which was represented by his father (Padmasinh) for seven consecutive terms.

“Jagjitsinh will contest the assembly elections from Tuljapur constituency, against former Congress minister Madhukar Chavan, if the BJP-Sena contests the polls together. If not, he (Jagjitsinh) will contest from his own seat (Osmanabad),” said a senior NCP leader requesting anonymity.

Responding to HT, Jagjitsinh, however, said they are assessing people’s views from the district, but have not taken any decision. “People from the district have different views and we are assessing them. No decision has been taken as of now,” he said. “We had a detailed discussion about the political situation in Osmanabad with state NCP chief Jayant Patil, when he was in the district three days ago. I have also intimated him that I will have to be in Mumbai on August 26 (today) and thus won’t be able to be present for ‘Shiv Swarajya Yatra’,’’ Jagjitsinh said.

The NCP in a jibe at turncoats said only those who resorted to scams and are scared are leaving the party. State NCP chief Jayant Patil said, “Some have left the NCP as they are afraid of the enforcement directorate, others have left as they are scared of getting arrested, while some have left as they are afraid of the CD”.

Another NCP leader and former Member of Parliament (MP) Dhananjay Mahadik is also said to be joining the BJP in the comings days. He has met chief minister Devendra Fadnavis twice in the past three months. The last meeting between the two was held recently. Mahadik lost to Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Mandlik by a margin of over 2.70 lakh votes in the recently held Lok Sabha elections. He had represented the Kolhapur Lok Sabha constituency of western Maharashtra. Mahadik could not be reached.

In the run-up to the recently-held Lok Sabha elections, senior NCP leader and former Member of Parliament (MP) Vijaysinh Mohite Patil and his son Ranjitsinh joined the BJP. Mohite Patil was representing Madha Lok Sabha in western Maharashtra. Significantly, Sopal was a rival of Mohite-Patil. Last month, NCP MLA Vaibhav Pichad, who represents Akole Assembly constituency from Ahmednagar district in western Maharashtra also joined BJP along with his father and former minister Madhukar. Another senior leader Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar is also rumoured to join the BJP in the coming days. Nimbalkar is the chairman of the Maharashtra legislative council and is the 29th descendant of the royal family of Phaltan in Satara district.