Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: Miffed with Pawar backing of Patil's candidature, aspirants warn of 'explosion' in Indapur unit

Pune: Nationalist Congress Party (SP) president Sharad Pawar's remarks on Monday virtually declaring new entrant Harshavardhan Patil's candidature for the upcoming assembly polls in Maharashtra has irked a section of party leaders that was eyeing ticket from the Indapur seat.

Patil, a bete noire of NCP leader and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, joined the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) on Monday, days after quitting the BJP.

The former state minister was inducted in the NCP (SP) in the presence of Sharad Pawar. Patil is likely to get the NCP (SP) ticket from his home ground of Indapur in Pune district.

Addressing a gathering on the occasion, the former Union agriculture minister virtually declared Patil as a party candidate for the assembly elections likely to be held in November.

His appeal to people to send Patil to the assembly was widely seen as an endorsement for his candidature, sparking discontent among party loyalists in the constituency.

Notably, no political party in Maharashtra has so far announced candidates for the polls.

Local NCP (SP) workers Pravin Mane, Appasaheb Jagdale, Bharat Shah, and three other aspirants, who were hoping for a ticket from Indapur, questioned as why they were ignored despite their hard work and honesty during party MP Supriya Sule's Lok Sabha poll campaign.

Sule, the daughter of Sharad Pawar, was elected from Baramati in Pune district in June for the fourth time in a row.

Addressing a press conference after Patil's induction in the NCP (SP), Jagdale announced they would hold a party workers' congregation on October 11 in Indapur to gauge sentiments of local people.

Without naming Patil, Jagdale demanded that his candidature be revoked.

He warned that if the decision was not reconsidered, there could be an "explosion" within the party ranks in Indapur, a seat represented by Patil multiple times in the past.

Asked about the growing discontent in a section of party workers, Sule said it would be her responsibility to address concerns of those who are disappointed.

The Indapur seat is currently with the ruling NCP led by Ajit Pawar.