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Another setback for NCP in 8 days? Party MLA Sopal may quit and join Sena
Sopal, according to workers aware of the developments, may join the Shiv Sena this week, days after he skipped the crucial NCP party meeting on August 14
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) may suffer yet another setback in the next eight days with its former minister and Barshi member of legislative assembly (MLA) Dilip Sopal likely to shift camp.
Sopal, according to workers aware of the developments, may join the Shiv Sena this week, days after he skipped the crucial NCP party meeting on August 14. Instead, Sopal held a separate meeting with his supporters at Barshi on Saturday where he announced that his next political move will be decided in the next eight days.
The NCP has already faced various defections, including its Mumbai chief Sachin Ahir, who joined the Shiv Sena in July. Other leaders such as Chitra Wagh, Vaibhav Pichad, Madhukar Pichad and Shivendraraje Bhosale have already defected to the BJP, sending strong signals to the NCP ahead of the assembly polls.
“The meet was organised to discuss the upcoming assembly elections (October) and I interacted with my supporters to know their sentiments. As far as my next political move is concerned, it will be announced within the next eight days,” said Sopal, a close associate of NCP chief Sharad Pawar.
Earlier, Sopal was also absent during the interviews for aspirants held in July for the assembly elections.
As per the 2009 seat-sharing agreement between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena, the Barshi assembly seat was with the later, fuelling speculations that Sopal may join the Shiv Sena.
Anticipating a series of defections, Pawar in July had accused the Devendra Fadnavis government of using probe agencies like the Central Investigation Bureau (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to pressurise NCP-Congress leaders to switch loyalties. Fadnavis denied the allegations and asked Pawar to “introspect”.
