The Impressive TimesPune, July 18 2024 : Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar met with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders from Pimpri-Chinchwad on Thursday at Pune Circuit House. This meeting comes in response to a significant blow to the NCP following a mass defection of party leaders to the faction led by Sharad Pawar.
On Wednesday, 25 NCP leaders, including Pimpri-Chinchwad unit chief Ajit Gavhane, defected to the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) (NCP-S). The prominent leaders who joined NCP-S include Gavhane, along with senior figures Rahul Bhosale, Pankaj Bhalekar, and Yash Sane. They officially made the switch at a gathering at Sharad Pawar’s residence in Pune.
Gavhane expressed his belief in the new party’s vision, stating, “We have joined Sharad Pawar’s party. We believe only this party can take Pimpri-Chinchwad and the rest of Maharashtra forward.”
The defections occur amidst internal strife within the NCP, exacerbated by its poor performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections where it secured only one seat. Dissent has been growing within the party, particularly regarding Ajit Pawar’s strained relationships with allies in the ruling Mahayuti alliance.
An RSS-affiliated publication, Vivek, reported a shift in voter sentiment against the BJP due to its alliance with Ajit Pawar’s faction, which negatively impacted the party’s performance. This development is perceived by NCP-S as an indirect signal for Ajit Pawar to reconsider his position in the ruling coalition.
The split within the NCP dates back to July last year when Ajit Pawar and a faction of MLAs broke away from Sharad Pawar to join the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. Ajit Pawar was subsequently appointed Deputy Chief Minister alongside eight loyalist lawmakers.
As Maharashtra’s legislative assembly term is set to conclude on November 26, the state is preparing for elections later this year.
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