Rebel Shiv Sena MLA claims dissatisfied NCP leaders to split soon

Mahesh Shinde, who won the 2019 Assembly election by defeating NCP’s Shashikant Shinde – a close aide of Ajit Pawar – had been sulking since the formation of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government and had protested against its decisions even inside the legislative complex.

It was informed that the agenda was to conduct election of office bearers and members of the executive committee of the MSWA for next four years as per National Sports Code, 2011. (Express File Photo)

Days after rebelling against former chief minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, the rebel Sena camp claimed on Tuesday that a section of NCP leaders, dissatisfied with the leadership, will switch over to either Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s faction or the BJP.

Rebel Sena MLA from Satara’s Koregaon Assembly constituency, Mahesh Shinde, without naming Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar, said: “The old guards in the NCP are unhappy over the manner in which this party is being run and how money-minded and corrupt practices are being used… especially, the dictatorship (dadagiri) in the party.” Ajit Pawar is known as ‘Dada’ in state’s political circles.

Mahesh has been one of the close aides of Eknath Shinde, when the latter rebelled against Thackeray. Mahesh, who won the 2019 Assembly election by defeating NCP’s Shashikant Shinde – a close aide of Ajit Pawar – had been sulking since the formation of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government and had protested against its decisions even inside the legislative complex.

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When contacted, Mahesh said that many disgruntled NCP leaders will soon start shifting to the other side. “I cannot name anyone until it happens. But what happened yesterday is an indication of things to come,” he added.

On Monday, NCP MLA Babandada Shinde held a meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fandavis regarding issues concerned with sugar mills, kick-starting discussions over possible political trouble for the NCP.

Both, Pawar and NCP state president Jayant Patil, however, ridiculed the speculation. “Babandada went to meet Fadnavis for his sugar mill’s work and he had informed the party before the meeting,” said Patil.

Ajit Pawar, on Monday, had said that the ruling side should better concentrate on solving people’s issues and not creating political earthquake. “You have majority and you still want more? Now that you have formed the government, better focus on governance instead of wasting energy on futile attempts to create political earthquakes. The NCP is not worried,” he had said.

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