Phaltan, October 14: NCP President and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday received a major setback after the party’s veteran leader and former chairman of the Maharashtra Legislative Council Ramraje Naik-Nimbalkar announced not to work for MahaYuti in the upcoming Assembly election. Ramraje, who is a member of the state legislative council hinted that he will work for the Sharad Pawar-led NCP SP and the Maha Vikas Aghadi though he will not join the party officially to avoid his disqualification.

Ramraje was the first to take the decision to join Ajit Pawar's camp in July 2023 after the latter ditched his uncle and NCP founder Sharad Pawar to join hands with BJP and Shiv Sena in the MahaYuti. Ramraje back then cited his decision to desert Sharad Pawar and join Ajit Pawar due to harassment allegedly from the local BJP leadership. Ramraje’s brother Sanjiv Raje Naik Nimbalkar along with other family members, the NCP legislator from Phaltan Deepak Chavan and a large number of party workers and his supporters on Monday joined the NCP SP and decided to work for the party in the coming Assembly election to defeat the MahaYuti in Phaltan, Satara and adjoining Solapur districts. Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: Peeved Raj Thackeray Wants State To Vote for Change, MNS in Upcoming Polls.

Chavan, who was elected from the Phaltan Assembly seat in the 2009, 2014 and 2019 elections, had been associated with NCP since it was formed in 1999. Recently, Ajit Pawar during his Jansanman Yatra announced Deepak Chavan’s candidature from the Phaltan seat. Despite this, Chavan today deserted Ajit Pawar and decided to join NCP SP. However, Chavan is expected to get a nomination from the Sharad Pawar camp from the Phaltan seat in the ensuing Assembly election. Incidentally, Ramraje had repeatedly expressed his displeasure over the NCP’s functioning especially for not addressing the issue of harassment of his supporters by local BJP leaders and their dominance despite being part of MahaYuti. Maharashtra Assembly Elections: Vote for MahaYuti To Make State Stronger, Foil MVA’s Plan To Weaken State, Says PM Narendra Modi (Watch Video).

Ajit Pawar and NCP working president Praful Patel had lengthy discussions with Ramraje urging him not to quit the party, and assuring him to take up his grievances with the BJP. Although Ramraje on Monday made it clear that he won’t join the Sharad Pawar camp but claimed that he would go by the sentiments and demands of his supporters by not working for the MahaYuti but extending all the necessary support to NCP SP and the Maha Vikas Aghadi in general in Phaltan Assembly seat and other adjoining constituencies.

“At today’s meeting the workers, who have been my followers for the last three decades, have made their position quite clear that they were not comfortable in MahaYuti. They are associated with MahaYuti and working for it because of my word. But today they have told me that they would not like to remain with Mahayuti anymore. My youngest brother Sanjiv Raje Naik Nimbalkar also told me this. So it is impossible for me to work for Mahayuti any more,” said Ramraje. "Whether I will leave Ajit Pawar or not is a different matter. Whether I will go with Sharad Pawar or not is also a different matter. But I will not work with the MahaYuti which is quite certain. Neither we nor our workers want to be with MahaYuti,” said Ramraje. He reiterated that his workers expressed that they would no longer continue to face torture from the local BJP leaders.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 14, 2024 07:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).