NCP-SP Pune City Chief Prashant Jagtap on Wednesday resigned from the party. This comes a day after he met NCP-SP Working President Supriya Sule in Mumbai. Jagtap was against the party's possible alliance with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's faction for the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) polls.
In a statement to the media, Jagtap said, "I am resigning from the primary and active membership of the NCP-SP. My heartfelt thanks to the leadership for the opportunities given to me till now. When I stepped into the social and political field 27 years ago, I did so not for any position, but to further the movement of progressive ideals. Even after 27 years, this remains my sole objective. My social and political journey for progressive ideals will continue in the future as well. My heartfelt thanks to all the party workers who have supported me with utmost dedication till now and who will continue to walk with me on this path of struggle."
NCP-SP national spokesperson Anish Gawande also released a statement, calling Jagtap's resignation "unfortunate". "Prashant Jagtap is a senior leader. He has been loyal to Sharad Pawar and the party. It is unfortunate that he has decided to end his journey with the NCP-SP, but I wish him well in his journey ahead. I am certain that, in the months to come, we will find several issues to work together on to uphold the secular, democratic fabric of India," Gawande said.
He added that his party "remains committed to working alongside the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) to ensure that cities across Maharashtra receive the urban governance they have been lacking." "We welcome any like-minded parties that share this mission into our fold," he further said.
Meanwhile, Sule has said that her party won't forge an alliance with the Ajit Pawar-led NCP for the Pune civic polls until all the doubts and apprehensions of her party workers are addressed.
Speaking to reporters in Pune, Sule said they are in touch with the NCP, and potential repercussions will also be deliberated upon if both NCP groups decide to join hands.
Sule said that in her meeting with Jagtap, she had assured him that no ideology or party policy would be compromised if "we join hands with the NCP". "Jagtap's concerns were valid. His questions are absolutely valid," she added.
Asked about discussions suggesting that if an alliance between both NCP factions takes place, the Ajit Pawar-led NCP might insist that the NCP-SP contest on their 'clock' symbol, Sule said she has not received any such proposal, adding that it was obvious the NCP-SP would contest on the 'tutari' symbol.
