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MUMBAI: While former minister and BJP leader Harshavardhan Patil is said to be eyeing a nomination to the Indapur assembly seat from the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, local leaders from Pawar’s party have opposed any such induction.
Leaders from Indapur tehsil in Pune district met Pawar and insisted that local workers be given the opportunity instead of “leaders who changed sides for political gains ahead of the elections”. They said that if Patil was interested in getting a ticket from the party, he should first work for the party for at least five years.
Pawar on Sunday hinted at a nomination for a candidate with elective merit. Pravin Mane, chairman of Sonai Dairy, a popular milk brand in western Maharashtra, and party worker and former district council member Appasaheb Jagdale met him at his residence in Baramati and staked a claim to the seat. The two reportedly said that they had played a crucial role in the victory of Supriya Sule in a very tough fight in the Lok Sabha election. The Indapur assembly segment is part of the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency.
According to NCP (SP) leaders, Pawar is still in two minds over the induction of Patil, a four-term MLA from the constituency. Sule, however, is in favour of his induction as she believes that only he has the capacity to fight Dattatray Bharne, the incumbent MLA who defeated Patil twice in 2014 and 2019. “Bharne, a Dhangar leader, is very popular, as he has brought a budget of ₹1,300 crore and ₹5,000 crore to the constituency in his two terms,” said an NCP leader. “The constituency is dominated by Dhangar community voters. Against this backdrop, Sule believes that Patil, a Maratha and former minister and a known name in the cooperative sector, can defeat the sitting MLA.”
Patil, a Congress MLA between 2009 and 2014, joined the BJP in September 2019 and unsuccessfully fought the assembly polls against Bharne. After the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the NCP joined the state government, it became evident that the seat would go to them, and Patil would miss out on candidature. The 61-year-old is, however, determined to contest the election, and recently announced in a rally of his workers from the constituency that the decision would be taken once the shraadh fortnight ended on October 2.
After the meeting with party workers, Pawar said that the Indapur candidate would be picked on elective merit. “There will be no compromise on elective merit,” he said. “There is a category of leaders which keeps changing parties for a ticket. But the candidate for Indapur will be picked by taking office-bearers and tehsil-level and district-level leaders into confidence. Pawar’s statement has led to speculation that he is not very keen on Patil’s induction into the fold.
Accommodative approach key, says Pawar
Sharad Pawar said the seat-sharing between the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA)’s three parties would be finalised in eight to ten days and added that the MVA was conducting a tehsil-wise survey before the announcement of the candidates.
“The power to pick candidates for the assembly polls has been given to the three-member committee of Jayant Patil (NCP-SP), Nana Patole (Congress) and Sanjay Raut (Sena-UBT),” Pawar said in Baramati while speaking to party workers. “They have been conducting surveys at the tehsil level to take stock. The final list of the candidates will be out in the next eight to 10 days. We will have to work for the alliance candidate by putting differences aside and having an accommodative approach.”
Meanwhile, Mohan Jagtap, the BJP’s election chief from Majalgaon in Beed district, is on the verge of quitting the party and entering the electoral fray as an independent. The seat is currently represented by the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, and BJP aspirants are aware of the lost opportunity. Jagtap has also slammed the party leadership, saying it was unfortunate that the BJP joined hands with Ajit Pawar last year.