'Big leader from key party may join': Sharad Pawar's NCP claims ahead of Maharashtra polls

Pawar faction of NCP was determined to unseat the ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra in association with its allies, the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT).

The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) on Wednesday claimed that a prominent leader from another political party may join the party, according to Indian Express.

The party’s Maharashtra unit president Jayant Patil made the claim in Nashik but did not reveal the party or the leader’s name. “It will be revealed at the appropriate time,” he said.

Patil said the Pawar faction of NCP was determined to unseat the ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra in association with its allies, the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT).

According to reports, the NCP (SP) has been saying many leaders have expressed interest in joining the party ahead of the Assembly elections. The NCP (SP) claimed that there was massive discontent among the people regarding the way the Mahayuti had functioned so far.

“The alliance of the BJP, the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) and the NCP led by Ajit Pawar will not secure more than 100 seats,” NCP (SP) spokesperson Mahesh Tapase told Indian Express. He also cited the Maharashtra electorate’s resentment towards the central BJP leadership as a key factor for the alliance’s declining support.

“There is visible resentment against the central leadership of the BJP. Each time these leaders visit Maharashtra, the Mahayuti’s support base erodes further,” Tapase said.

Tapase also mentioned Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent visit to Nagpur. During his visit, Shah urged BJP workers to increase their vote share by 10 per cent to ensure the alliance’s victory.

Tapase told IE that Mahayuti’s vote share would decrease by 20 per cent as the voters were increasingly disillusioned with the BJP’s “power-hungry” approach. “The BJP has relied heavily on its central leaders to boost its electoral performance in Maharashtra, but the people of this state are no longer interested. They want accountability, development, and jobs, which the Mahayuti has failed to secure. Luring away MLAs of Uddhav Thackery and Sharad Pawar to make an unconstitutional alliance in Maharashtra has not gone well with people of the state,” Tapase told IE.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said the state assembly polls are expected to be held in the second week of November and seat-sharing among the ruling allies would be finalised soon.