In Maharashtra, Sharad Pawar has last laugh as Mahayuti leaders make a beeline to join his party

After joining the NCP(SP), Bhagyashree said, “I did not like the way my father changed his party (leaving the original Pawar-led party) and was working since he joined the Mahayuti (alliance) with the (Ajit breakaway outfit) NCP. He was giving false assurance of welfare to the public.”

The defections to the NCP (SP) camp began in April ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. After being denied a ticket by the BJP, Dharyashil Mohite Patil, the nephew of former MP Vijaysinh Mohite Patil, joined the NCP (SP), which fielded him from Madha. The same month, Nilesh Lanke, an NCP MLA from the Parner constituency in Ahmednagar district, jumped ship to join the NCP (SP) and was fielded from the Ahmednagar seat.

In the Lok Sabha elections, Lanke and Patil ended up defeating the BJP candidates in their respective constituencies. The NCP (SP) bagged eight of the 10 seats it contested. The overall tally of the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) — comprising the Congress, NCP(SP) and the Shiv Sena (UBT) — was 30 out of 48 seats. The ruling Mahayuti alliance of the BJP, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and the NCP could manage to get only 17 seats. Among the Mahayuti partners, the NCP proved to be the worst performer, winning only one seat as compared to the BJP’s nine and the Shinde Sena’s seven seats.

In June, following the Lok Sabha polls, former Union Minister Suryakanta Patil came back to the NCP (SP) after a ten-year stint with the BJP.

A month later, former state minister and BJP leader Madhavrao Kinhalkar, who represented the Bhokar Assembly seat earlier, joined Pawar’s party.

Several other Mahayuti leaders hoping for tickets in the upcoming Assembly polls have also joined the NCP (SP), or looking to cross over to its fold.

On July 17, the Pimpri Chinchwad area’s NCP chief Ajit Gavhane quit the Ajit NCP to join the NCP(SP), hoping to contest from the Bhosari Assembly constituency on the latter’s ticket.

On September 4, former Kolhapur district unit BJP chief Samrjeetsinh Ghatge, who was considered a staunch supporter of Deputy CM Devendra Fadanavis, left the BJP to join the NCP (SP). He is hoping to contest from the Kagal seat in the Kolhapur district for the coming Assembly polls.

Former BJP MLA Bapusaheb Pathare, who has started his public outreach in the Vadgaon Sheri Assembly constituency, has already claimed that he would contest the polls on the NCP(SP) symbol.

The NCP (SP)’s Maharashtra unit chief Jayant Patil said he was not “aware of Pathare seeking support for the NCP (SP)”. He, however, added: “It is true that many are approaching our party… We will induct leaders from other political parties only after verifying their credentials.”

Recently, NCP MLA from Junnar Atul Benke met NCP (SP) chief. He has been using the pictures of Sharad Pawar in his posters.

BJP leader from Indapur, Harshvardhan Patil, too, has been in touch with the NCP (SP), looking to rally his supporters over the move.