Pune: NCP (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar said that after BJP leader Harshvardhan Patil , many others are interested in joining his party before the assembly poll . Patil quit the BJP on Friday and has decided to move to Sharad Pawar's party. Samarjeetsinh Ghatge, a BJP leader from Kolhapur, also left the BJP and joined the NCP (SCP) a few weeks ago.
Pawar, speaking in Sangli, said, "Our party's ideology is spreading in the state. While some have joined us, many others want to work with our party, and their number of such people joining the party will increase in the coming days." Patil's formal entry is likely on October 6 or 7.
The party's working president Supriya Sule said, "Both families' relations go back to six decades. We had some political conflicts, but it was never personal. I am happy that we will work together.
" Amidst reports that a section of NCP (SCP) functionaries from Indapur is unhappy with Patil's induction Supriya said, "There will not be any injustice to party loyalists. Those who have remained with us after the split will continue to get respect. I will interact with them to make sure that there is no misunderstanding.
" BJP has downplayed Patil's exit. The party's state election coordinator Raosaheb Danve said, "A big section of Shiv Sena and NCP MLAs joined us. The exit of one or two politicians from BJP gets highlighted, ignoring that most who believe in the party's ideology have stayed with us.
" BJP national secretary Pankaja Munde said, "I have good relati.