Mumbai: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress may soon have to mark attendance for a quick head count, going by the rate at which its leaders are jumping ship. Party workers are wondering if there will be any leader left until the assembly elections.
After the failure of efforts to prevent bigwigs from deserting, worried NCP workers have been invoking the divine, conducting havans to stop the steady exodus.
Even more worrisome is that the Congress-NCP combine, which ruled the state for 15 years (1999-2014), is helplessly watching from the side lines, as its leaders bid adieu.
With just two months remaining before the model code of conduct kicks in, legislators from the Congress and the NCP are in a scramble join the BJP and the Shiv Sena, to enhance their political longevity.
NCP's Pankaj Bhujbal, son of Chhagan Bhujbal and a member of the legislative assembly (MLA) from Nashik district, MLA Ganesh Naik from Navi Mumbai (along with his sons), Sangram Jagtap from Ahmednagar district, Jyoti Kalani from Ulhasnagar, Avadhoot Tatkare from Shrivardhan, who is the nephew of NCP's Lok Sabha MP Sunil Tatkare, Shivendra Raje Bhosale from Satara, Vaibhav Pichad from Akole (Ahmednagar) and the president of the party’s women's wing, Chitra Wagh, are flocking to either the BJP or the Sena.
The Congress too is staring at a mass desertion scenario. Its MLAs Jaykumar Gore from Satara district, Kalidas Kolambkar from Wadala, Aslam Khan from Malad West, Siddharam Mhetre from Akkalkot in Solapur district and Bharat Bhalke from Pandharpur are shortly expected to join either of the saffron parties.
The rumblings are taking other forms. Senior leader and former minister Harshvardhan Patil is also eyeing the BJP or considering contesting independently.
NCP leader Ajit Pawar has threatened that he will not leave the Indapur seat for the Congress. Patil has represented Indapur many times but in the 2014 assembly elections, he lost to NCP candidate Dattatray Bharne.
Since NCP has a sitting MLA at Indapur, it is not ready to give this seat to the Congress. If the NCP denies him the Indapur seat, he is likely to join the BJP or contest independently. Three days ago, Patil had met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, ostensibly to invite him for a book release event.
By Pramod Chunchuwar
