Pune, Jul 17: In a significant setback for Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, approximately two dozen office-bearers from Pimpri-Chinchwad have switched allegiance to the Sharad Pawar-led NCP on Wednesday.
Sharad Pawar personally welcomed these office-bearers, including 20 former municipal corporators, several of whom were women, to the NCP (SP) fold. The welcoming ceremony, held at Pawar's residence, saw the new members receive party flags, stoles, and blessings in the presence of other party leaders.
Among the notable figures who switched sides are former NCP city president Ajit Gavhane, executive president Rahul Bhosale, student wing chief Yash Sane, Bhosari assembly seat head Pankaj Bhalekar, and around 20 former municipal corporators and other unit heads.
They had submitted their resignations to NCP state President Sunil Tatkare, with Sane sending his resignation to NCP Student Wing President Prashant Kadam earlier this week.
This development comes just ahead of Sharad Pawar's scheduled rally in Pimpri-Chinchwad on Saturday, July 20. It is anticipated that more NCP leaders and office-bearers from other parts of Pune district will follow suit, especially with the state Assembly elections only three months away.
Reports suggest that some of the defectors, such as Gavhane, were dissatisfied with not receiving an NCP ticket for the Lok Sabha polls or had lost hope for securing a ticket for the upcoming Assembly elections. This discontent prompted their move to the NCP (SP), according to a local Pune leader.
