Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Minister Sanjay Shirsat today claimed that Maharashtra President of the Nationalist Congress Party (SP) Jayant Patil would cross over to the Ajit Pawar-led NCP.
“I have said this in the past. Jayant Patil is in no mood to stay in NCP (SP) for long. There will be an earthquake in Sharad Pawar’s party. You will see Jayant Patil joining Ajit Pawar's NCP (Nationalist Congress Party),” Shirsat said on Thursday.
Shirsat's party, NCP and BJP are constituents of the ruling Mahayuti alliance in the state.
His remarks came after Patil said nothing about him was certain. His comments also sparked the buzz that he could quit the NCP (SP).
On an earlier occasion Patil's meetig with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president and Maharashtra Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, ignited a wave of speculation about potential political realignments in the State sayig Patil may join BJP. It raised eyebrows given the historically adversarial relationship between the two parties.
Sources close to the development then suggested that a senior BJP leader facilitated the rendezvous, fueling rumors that Patil, a long-time loyalist of NCP founder Sharad Pawar, might be considering a shift in allegiance. Posts on X have amplified the buzz, with some claiming the meeting occurred around midnight and hinting that Patil could be on the verge of joining the BJP-led Mahayuti coalition. However, both leaders downplayed the encounter then, insisting it was not politically motivated.
Today, on this development, Vijay Wadettiwar, the Congress legislature party leader, said Patil heads the state unit of NCP (SP) and it was evident that he has been upset these days. “We can only guess what he wants to say. I am not sure of the inference behind his remark. He is a senior politician, an eight-term MLA and has held responsible positions,” Wadettiwar added (with inputs from PTI).
The Congress, NCP (SP) and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) are the partners of the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
NCP minister Hasan Mushrif said it is now clear that Patil is upset. He is aware that it is difficult to do politics and keep NCP (SP) intact for the next five years, he said.
In her sarcasting coment on the news, NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule said it is a flattering compliment as “they (the rivals) need Jayant Patil despite their big organisational strength”.