MUMBAI: In yet another jolt to the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, MLA Rajendra Shingne is now set to join the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) this week. Mr. Shingne, who is the MLA from Sindkhed Raja in Buldhana district, has met Sharad Pawar and his daughter Supriya Sule in Pune and Mumbai multiple times in the last few days.
According to the sources from the NCP (SP), Shingne is seeking an Assembly ticket from the Sindkhed Raja seat. He was loyal to the party founder and never disregarded the latter. In August 2024, Mr.Shingne, former FDA minister, had said that he did not have a choice but to go with Ajit Pawar in July 2023 as the district cooperative bank headed by him was in trouble.
An NCP insider said that Mr. Shingne will be joining the party in the next two to three days. “He is likely to be given a ticket from the Sindkhed Raja assembly constituency from the party,” the insider said.
Reacting to reports, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said that the leaders often switch sides when the elections are near and the parties that do not have candidates with elective merit try to poach candidates from other parties.
After NCP(SP) won eight out of nine Lok Sabha seats it had contested, party leaders including Sharad Pawar’s grand nephew Rohit Pawar had claimed that at least a dozen MLAs from the Ajit Pawar camp will switch sides before the Assembly elections.
Ajit Pawar-led NCP leaders Umesh Patil and Vilas Lande also on Tuesday met Sharad Pawar in Pune. Around a month ago, Umesh Patil had resigned as spokesperson of NCP over issues of ‘unfair’ treatment. He told this newspaper that he had held a discussion with Sharad Pawar regarding the political situation in Solapur district. “I will support the NCP (SP) candidate in my district,” he said.
Satara district chief of the Ajit Pawar’s party Sanjeevraje Naik-Nimbalkar and Phaltan NCP legislator Deepak Chavan had on Monday joined NCP (SP) in the presence of the NCP founder. Sanjeev is the brother of senior leader Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar, who had sided with Ajit Pawar last year. It is being said that Ramraje has decided to remain neutral in the Assembly election.
BJP leaders Samarjeetsinh Ghadge from Kolhapur and Harshwardhan Patil from Indapur have also joined the NCP (SP) and both of them are likely to contest the Assembly election.
