Vitriol spews out of the mouth of Nationalist Congress Party (SP) president Sharad Pawar's remarks on Monday virtually declaring new entrant Harshavardhan Patil's candidature for the forthcoming assembly polls in Maharashtra has irked a section of party leaders that were eyeing a 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 into the NCP (SP) in the presence of Sharad Pawar. Patil is expected to get the NCP (SP) ticket from his home ground of Indapur in Pune district.
Addressing a meeting on the occasions, former Union agriculture minister practically declared Patil as party candidate for the assembly elections likely to be held in November. His appeal to people to send Patil to the assembly was widely construed as endorsement of his candidature at the party level that caused widespread resentment in the constituency, it added. Notably, no political party in Maharashtra has so far announced candidates for the polls.
Locals NCP workers Pravin Mane and Appasaheb Jagdale, Bharat Shah, along with three others eyeing a ticket from Indapur had a query for the party MP Supriya Sule while she was passing through the Lok Sabha poll campaign drill- their honesty and toil on campaign work apparently not enough. Supriya Sule was re-elected consecutively for the fourth time from Baramati in Pune district in June.
Addressing a press conference after Patil's induction in the NCP (SP), Jagdale said they would conduct a party workers' congregation on 11 October in Indapur to feel out the sentiments of the local people. Not mentioning Patil's name, Jagdale asked for retraction of his candidature. He threatened that if the decision was not reconsidered, an "explosion" could take place in the party ranks at Indapur. A seat represented by Patil several times in the past.
When 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."
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