NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar’s recent comments suggesting Harshavardhan Patil as a candidate for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections has upset some party members hoping to run for the Indapur seat. If the decision is not reviewed, workers from the Nationalist Congress Party (SP) in Indapur, Pune district, have warned of a potential “explosion” within the party ranks.
Harshavardhan Patil, known as an enemy of NCP leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, officially joined the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) on Monday, just a few days after leaving the BJP. The ex-state minister joined the NCP (SP) with Sharad Pawar in attendance.
It is probable that Patil will receive the NCP (SP) nomination from his constituency in Indapur. The NCP led by Ajit Pawar currently holds the seat. Speaking at a meeting on Monday, Sharad Pawar all but officially announced Patil as the party’s choice for the upcoming assembly elections, anticipated to take place next month.
The ex-agriculture minister’s call for the public to elect Patil to the assembly was commonly interpreted as a support of his candidacy, causing dissatisfaction among loyalists of the party in the area. It is worth mentioning that no political party in Maharashtra has yet declared candidates for the elections.
NCP (SP) workers in the Indapur region, including Pravin Mane, Appasaheb Jagdale, Bharat Shah, and three other hopefuls, were disappointed to be overlooked for a ticket despite their dedication and honesty in supporting party MP Supriya Sule during her Lok Sabha election campaign.
Sule, Sharad Pawar’s daughter, won the election from Baramati in Pune district for the fourth consecutive time in June. After Patil joined the NCP (SP), Jagdale announced at a press conference that they would organize a gathering for party workers on October 11 in Indapur to understand the opinions of the community. Jagdale, without directly mentioning Patil, called for the withdrawal of his candidacy.
If the decision is not reviewed, there might be a “blast” within the party members in Indapur, a constituency previously held by Patil on numerous occasions, he remarked. When questioned about the increasing dissatisfaction among some party members, Sule stated that it was her duty to attend to the issues of those feeling disillusioned.