The NCP, led by Sharad Pawar, has faced a significant blow during the Maharashtra assembly election campaign. Shortly after his tour to Indapur, Sharad Pawar returned and a division arose within the party. In the midst of the election in Indapur, Appasaheb Jagdale, a dissatisfied leader of Sharad Pawar’s faction, declared his support for Dattatraya Bharane, the candidate of Ajit Pawar’s faction.
Jagdale had shown his dissatisfaction with the nomination of Harshvardhan Patil, a leader of the Sharad Pawar faction, for the Indapur constituency. Jagdale had stated that he would not back someone who deceives the public. There is a belief that Sharad Pawar had visited Indapur because he was unhappy, but Jagdale deceived him upon his return. Jagdale might become a part of the NCP Ajit Pawar group in the near future.
There is speculation that Jagdale will be appointed deputy chief minister under the guidance of Ajit Pawar, while Dattatreya will also support Bharne during the campaign. He criticized Harshvardhan Patil, stating that he would not back someone who deceives the public. Following this, he declared his intention to step down from his position. Jagdale’s decision has put Sharad Pawar’s party on the defensive in the Indapur seat.
Sharad Pawar visited Indapur today. He encountered angry party officials regarding ticket given to Harshvardhan Patil, but chose not to meet Jagdale and rebel candidate Praveen Mane from Nationalist Sharad Pawar Group. Not long after that, Jagdale made his decision public. Jagdale’s decision to switch sides during the election could also be detrimental to Harshvardhan Patil.
The battle in the Maharashtra assembly polls is primarily between two groupings. The ruling Mahayuti consists of Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde, BJP, and NCP led by Ajit Pawar. On the flip side, Mahavikas Aghadi consists of Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray, NCP led by Sharad Pawar, and Congress. The political parties have finalized the seat sharing formula, announced the candidates’ names, and completed the nominations process.
The deadline for withdrawing nominations is Monday. Around 50 rebel leaders from each alliance are upset for not receiving tickets and have decided to run as independent candidates. In this scenario, political parties have a limited amount of time to persuade the rebels.