After the entry of former minister and senior BJP leader Harshvardhan Patil, it is now the turn of senior leader from the Ajit Pawar-led NCP Ramraje Naik-Nimbalkar to join the Sharad Pawar-led NCP on October 14.
On Monday when Harshvardhan Patil and his daughter Ankita Patil joined his party, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar himself indicated that Ramraje – who is the 29th descendant of the royal family from Phaltan –would soon join his party.
“As I was coming for this function at Indapur, I received a call…I will go to Phaltan on October 14 for a similar function…Hope you understand what I am saying,” Sr Pawar said at a function organised at Indapur near Pune to welcome Patil, his daughter Ankita and their supporters into his party.
Informed sources in the NCP (SP) said that Ramraje met Sr Pawar and expressed his desire to return the party led by the by the latter.
A political heavy weight from Satara in western Maharashtra, 75-year-old Ramraje was a minister in the erstwhile Democratic Front government and a former Chairperson of the Maharashtra Legislative Council. Speaking at a rally held on Sunday, Ramraje had himself indicated that he would return to the NCP (SP).
“I feel guilty about deserting Pawar Saheb, who made me a minister in 2009, when I was not even a legislator. I joined Ajit Pawar so to ensure the security of my workers. But that doesn’t seem to be happening,” Ramraje said.
“Many of my supporters have told me to join Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP)…they have asked me something for the first time,” Ramraje said.
Earlier in the day, speaking at a function organised at Indapur to welcome him to the NCP (SP), Harvardhan Patil said:
“This is the wish of the people and the workers of Indapur…All the people of all castes and religions wanted to join the NCP (SP) and we are bowing to their wishes”.
At the function, Patil, his daughter Ankita and their supporters were welcomed formally to the NCP (SP) party by Sharad Pawar, its national working President Supriya Sule, MPs, MLAs and other party leaders.
