The crossover comes ahead of the rural and urban civic polls in Maharashtra, including in the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC). It is seen as a major organisational setback for the Sharad Pawar-led faction in the crucial Thane-Palghar region
Ajit Pawar welcomes Suhas Desai into NCP. Pic/X
Suhas Desai, the Thane city president of the opposition Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), on Thursday crossed over to the rival NCP, led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister (CM) Ajit Pawar, news agency PTI reported.
Desai, along with more than two dozen followers, formally joined the ruling coalition party at a brief function held at the NCP office in Thane in the morning.
The crossover comes ahead of the rural and urban civic polls in Maharashtra, including in the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC). It is seen as a major organisational setback for the Sharad Pawar-led faction in the crucial Thane-Palghar region.
The Maharashtra Deputy CM welcomed Desai and his supporters into the party fold. Senior NCP leader and former Member of Parliament (MP) Anand Paranjpe and party's Thane district president Najeeb Mulla were also present for the event, PTI reported.
NCP leaders described the defection as a "big jolt" to the Sharad Pawar-headed faction and its legislator Jitendra Awhad, a former state minister. Desai’s induction was held opposite Awhad's bungalow.
Still facing punishment despite court’s ‘clean chit’, says Dhananjay Munde
NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde on Thursday said that despite receiving a "clean chit" from court in an alleged scam case, he was still facing the punishment.
Munde, who belonged to the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, had resigned in March from the cabinet, days after his close aide Walmik Karad was named the mastermind in the murder of Massajog village sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh.
In August, activist Anjali Damania had alleged that Munde was behind a file, containing a report on complaints of corruption in the Maharashtra agriculture department, disappearing during his tenure as minister. He had also served as agriculture minister in the previous Eknath Shinde-led government.
Addressing a Dussehra rally at Sawargaon Ghat in Beed district alongside his cousin and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Minister Pankaja Munde, he said: "Earlier when I was going through a media trial, I was supported by my sister and Mahayuti. Some moved the court alleging my involvement in a scam. The court gave me a clean chit and fined the petitioner. But I am still facing the punishment."
Referring to recent heavy rains and floods, he added that the situation until a few days ago was not conducive to organise the rally.
"But Pankaja decided to organise this rally as it is an annual practice. Today, I am just an MLA, but my sister is in the cabinet. She will get the maximum aid for the affected farmers," said Dhananjay Munde.
He also noted: "It is commendable that Pankaja is carrying forward the legacy of the Dussehra rally."
(With PTI inputs)
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