17 April,2024 11:33 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Karan Pawar and Unmesh Patil joined Sena (UBT) earlier this month/ Shadab Khan
In the run-up to the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, political turncoats in Maharashtra have found themselves in a lucrative position as both alliances--the Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi--have welcomed them with open arms.
Several formidable leaders have switched parties or returned to their previous ones for tickets to contest the Lok Sabha Elections 2024.
Recently, the prominent leader from Madha, Dhairyasheel Mohite-Patil joined the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) and received a nomination for the constituency. He quit the BJP and joined forces with the NCP after the saffron party denied him a ticket and fielded Ranjit Sinh Naik-Nimbalkar, the incumbent MP.
Leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Archana Patil joined the Nationalist Congress Party led by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and has been nominated for the Dharashiv constituency (earlier Osmanabad). Patil will be facing her estranged brother-in-law Omraje Nimbalkar representing the Shiv Sena (UBT), stated an IANS report.
The report further added that former Shiv Sena deputy leader Shivajirao Adhalrao too joined the NCP, and will be contesting in the Shirur constituency in the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. He is pitted against the sitting MP Amol Kolhe who is backed by the NCP-SP and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chief Prakash Ambedkar will also be in the fray for the Akola seat.
Reportedly, other prominent defections include Congress leader Raju Parwe joining Shiv Sena after quitting from Congress, Karan Pawar joining Shiv Sena (UBT) after quitting BJP and Bajrang Sonawane siding with Sharad Pawar faction of NCP after leaving the party faction led by Ajit Pawar.
The IANS report further stated that the NCP leader Nilesh Lanke, who is a legislator from Parner, also sided with the Sharad Pawar faction and has now been fielded by the Ahmednagar constituency in Lok Sabha Elections 2024.
Sitting MP from Jalgaon, Unmesh Patil too recently joined Shiv Sena UBT in Mumbai after the saffron party denied him a ticket from the constituency and nominated Smita Wagh instead. Patil joined the party along with Karan Pawar.
Maharashtra Lok Sabha Elections 2024
Voting for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 in Maharashtra will be held in five phases starting on April 19 and concluding on May 20. The first phase in the state will commence this Friday.
