Pune: Even before the announcement of the assembly poll , the political temperature in Indapur seat is soaring with the high possibility of a triangular fight . Both NCP factions are keen to contest, and former cabinet minister and senior BJP leader Harshvardhan Patil is also preparing to fight as an independent candidate. Patil has a longstanding rivalry with deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who had ensured his defeat from Indapur in the 2019 assembly poll by fielding Datta Bharane of the united NCP against him.
Equations grew complicated for Patil when Ajit Pawar became an alliance partner in the Mahayuti. Now, his party is staking a claim over all those seats won by the united NCP, including the Indapur seat. Patil is pushing the BJP leadership to pick him but his supporters have started preparations to contest the poll with him as an independent candidate.
“My supporters want me to contest as an independent candidate. They have full right to express their wishes. I have not yet finalised my decision.
I will discuss the matter with my supporters and then decide,” Patil told TOI. Meanwhile, Bharne’s supporters have started installing his posters across Indapur, suggesting that NCP will contest the seat again. Ajit Pawar had also said that his party should get to contest from those seats NCP won in 2019.
Adding spice to the contest, Sharad Pawar's party recently inducted Pravin Mane from Ajit Pawar's party. Though NCP (SCP) MLA Rohit Pawar made it clear that no candid.