Ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections, BJP leader and former minister Harshvardhan Patil on Friday announced that he would soon join the Sharad Pawar-led NCP(SP).
He announced his decision to call it a day and join Sharad Pawar’s party at his meeting with supporters who had gathered in large numbers.
Talking to media persons, Mr Patil said: “I have been travelling across the Indapur constituency and meeting people from various sections for the last two months. One thing is clear, the people have been insisting that I should contest the Assembly election.”
The leader said: “During the meeting with the NCP(SP) chief, he told me that since my supporters want me to contest from Indapur, I should take a call… I spoke to my supporters and have decided to join the NCP(SP).”
Mr Patil is expected to contest the Indapur Assembly constituency against NCP legislator Dattamama Bharne.
Mr Patil, Chairman of the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories and a cooperative baron has represented the Indapur constituency four times.
The leader’s supporters said he would join NCP(SP) on October 7 during a rally at Indapur in Pune district.
Mr Patil’s daughter Ankitta Patil, a former Pune Zilla Parishad member, will also join the Sharad Pawar faction, according to sources.
Mr Patil, who had left Congress and joined the BJP in September 2019, has been seeking nomination from the Indapur Assembly seat.
He was unsure about getting the nomination from the said seat as it is represented by BJP’s alliance partner NCP.
Earlier, Mr Patil met Mr Pawar in August but kept his cards close to his chest.
Mr Patil was unhappy over the BJP for not taking a firm stand on his candidature from the Indapur constituency.
Ankitta Patil, who is an ex-member of Pune Zilla Parishad, has also changed her WhatsApp status to a “man blowing turah” (a traditional trumpet) which is NCP-SP’s poll symbol.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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