Mumbai: In yet another setback to the BJP ahead of state Vidhan Sabha polls, Raje Samarjeetsinh Ghatge, who is a member of the royal family of Kagal estate of Kolhapur state, quit the saffron party to join the Sharad Pawar-led NCP. Ghatge is likely to be fielded by the NCP (SP) from the Kagal constituency. The saffron party has not seen many people leaving the party in the last 10, but the trend seems to have changed after its debacle in Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra.
On Tuesday, Ghatge was inducted in the NCP (SP) by the party supremo Sharad Pawar and president Jayant Patil at a public rally in Kagal. Earlier, Pawar visited the Kagal residence of Samarjeetsinh and his uncle Shrimant Raje Pravinsinh Ghatge.
“I have decided to join the NCP (SP) and work under the guidance of Pawar Saheb for the future of Kagal,” said Ghatge.
Ghatge was considered a close aide of deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP. He reportedly wanted to contest on a BJP ticket from Kagal, which is currently held by Hasan Mushrif of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, who is a five-time MLA from the same constituency.
However, the Kagal seat is likely to go to Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction in the seat sharing arrangement of the ruling Mahayuti alliance for the Vidhan Sabha polls under the general assumption that parties will be allowed to hold seats on which they have MLAs.
Ghatge had unsuccessfully contested the 2019 Vidhan Sabha elections as an independent candidate. Samarjeetsinh’s late father Vikramsinh Ghatge is a two-time MLA from Kagal.
Meanwhile, another senior BJP leader and former minister Harwardhan Patil is also expected to join the NCP (SP). Patil is keen to contest from his traditional Indapur assembly seat in Pune district which is currently represented by Ajit-led party MLA Dattaray Bharn.
Former central minister Suryakanta Patil has also resigned from the BJP and is likely to join the Sharad Pawar-led party. Former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse, who had decided to return to the BJP has decided to remain with the NCP (SP).
