At a time when BJP was issuing new deadlines for the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government due to internal contradictions among ruling partners, the former received a major setback after former minister Shivajirao Naik on Saturday joined NCP in the presence of party chief Sharad Pawar.
Naik, who was the minister of state in the Shiv Sena-BJP government during 1995 and 1999, had lost the 2019 assembly elections from Shirala constituency to NCP nominee Mansingh Naik. Incidentally, Naik was instrumental in the consolidation of BJP in Sangli and other districts of western Maharashtra.
Naik accused BJP state president Chandrakant Patil for ignoring the party workers when the BJP was in power in the state and also after the 2019 assembly election.
Naik praised NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s leadership saying that he can develop the Maharashtra state. He said Pawar takes care of party workers and gives direction for expediting the development process.
State NCP chief Jayant Patil claimed that the entire state has faith in Pawar’s leadership. ‘’BJP is saying every day that ministers and legislators from the Maha Vikas Aghadi government will split but we do not talk but work. NCP will emerge as the single largest party in the state in the coming elections,’’ he noted.
