Sharad Pawar's Support for Patil Sparks Tension Among NCP (SP) Leaders in Indapur

NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar’s remarks virtually declaring new entrant Harshavardhan Patil’s candidature for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly polls have irked a section of party leaders that was eyeing ticket for the Indapur seat.

Local workers of the Nationalist Congress Party (SP) have said if the decision is not reconsidered, there could be an “explosion” within the party ranks in Indapur, located in Pune district.

Harshavardhan Patil, a bete noire of NCP leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, joined the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) on Monday, days after quitting the BJP.

The former state minister was inducted in the NCP (SP) in the presence of Sharad Pawar.

Patil is likely to get the NCP (SP) ticket from his home ground of Indapur. The seat is currently with the ruling NCP led by Ajit Pawar.

Addressing a gathering on Monday, Sharad Pawar virtually declared Patil as the party candidate for the assembly elections, likely to be held next month.

The former Union agriculture minister’s appeal to people to send Patil to the assembly was widely seen as an endorsement of his candidature, sparking discontent among party loyalists in the constituency.

Notably, no political party in Maharashtra has so far announced candidates for the polls.

Local NCP (SP) workers Pravin Mane, Appasaheb Jagdale, Bharat Shah, and three other aspirants, who were hoping for a ticket from Indapur, questioned why they were ignored despite their hard work and honesty during party MP Supriya Sule’s Lok Sabha poll campaign.

Sule, the daughter of Sharad Pawar, was elected from Baramati in Pune district in June for the fourth time in a row.

Addressing a press conference after Patil’s induction in the NCP (SP), Jagdale said they would hold a party workers’ congregation on October 11 in Indapur to gauge local people’s sentiments.

Without naming Patil, Jagdale demanded that his candidature be revoked.

He said if the decision was not reconsidered, there could be an “explosion” within the party ranks in Indapur, a seat represented by Patil multiple times in the past.

Asked about the growing discontent in a section of party workers, Sule said it would be her responsibility to address concerns of those who are disappointed.