Pune: In a significant political shift, Harshvardhan Patil, the former Minister of Cooperation and Parliamentary Affairs of Maharashtra and President of the National Sugar Federation, has declared his intention to leave the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and join the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) headed by Sharad Pawar.
This announcement came during a press conference held in Indapur, where Patil emphasized that the NCP officials would soon disclose the date and venue of his party entry.
Patil shared that he had been actively touring various regions of the Indapur taluka for the past two months, engaging with party workers.
The feedback he received indicated a strong consensus that the upcoming assembly elections must be contested, regardless of the circumstances.
Reflecting on recent political discussions, Patil recounted a meeting he had with Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis just four days prior.
Fadnavis suggested exploring alternative options since the Indapur constituency is affiliated with a component party of the Mahayuti alliance. However, Patil rejected this suggestion, asserting that it would serve only his personal interests rather than the greater good.
Following this, Patil held a meeting with Sharad Pawar on Thursday (October 3), which was also attended by MP Supriya Sule. During this meeting, Pawar and Sule strongly encouraged Patil to join the NCP.
After discussions with various stakeholders, Patil has now made the decision to join the NCP, citing the ongoing injustices faced by the residents of Indapur taluka over the past decade as a significant motivator for this change.
He underscored that this decision is not merely personal but is rooted in the demands and welfare of the people.
The press conference was attended by notable party members including Ankita Patil Thackeray, Rajvardhan Patil, Vilas Waghmode, Lalasahab Pawar, Deoraj Jadhav, Sharad Jamdar, and others. With Patil's announcement to join the NCP, the political landscape in the region is poised for change.
Observers are particularly curious about how those opposing his entry, such as Praveen Mane, Appasaheb Jagdale, and Bharat Shah, will respond.