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 candidate has been announced by the party so far, Mane's inclusion has sent a strong message to Mahayuti that he is likely to be fielded from Indapur by NCP (SCP). According to BJP functionaries in Indapur, Patil will struggle in a triangular contest.
“He is keen to contest the election, but in a triangular fight, the MVA candidate is likely to have an advantage as the votes for Mahayuti will get divided between Patil and Bharane,” a local office-bearer of the BJP said. We also published the following articles recently Mahayuti parties will contest on seats won in 2019: Ajit Pawar Ajit Pawar announced that Mahayuti alliance parties would contest the seats they won in the 2019 elections. A coordination committee is finalizing the seat allocation.
He highlighted that while individual party agendas, like the BJP's Hindutva focus, remain, the coalition would prioritize development issues. Chhagan Bhujbal's absence from the Nashik tour raised some concerns. Switching sides: Another blow for NCP chief Ajit Pawar as Sharad Pawar gains Pravin Mane Ajit Pawar's NCP faced another setback as Pravin Mane, a member from Indapur tehsil, joined NCP (SCP) in the presence of Rohit Pawar.
Mane had previously campaigned for Supriya Sule but later shifted allegiance. He is now seen as a potential candidate for the Indapur assembly constituency in the upcoming polls. Here's why Ajit Pawar asked NCP office-bearers from Baramati constituency to resign Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar requested all NCP office-bearers in Baramati to resign to reform the party structure.
He acknowledged their Lok Sabha loss and cited insufficient support from some members. As he prepares for the assembly poll, Pawar plans to appoint a new team by August 15, focusing on revitalizing the party..
