Amid Speculations Of Joining NCP(SP), BJP Leader Harshvardhan Patil Skips Key Party Meeting

Former minister and BJP leader Harshvardhan Patil, who is keen on securing a candidacy for the Assembly elections, appears to be discontented with his party. Patil notably skipped the district convention organised by the BJP, despite having been invited to the event, which was held in Daund, Pune. His absence has fuelled speculation that Patil remains unhappy, especially regarding his desire to contest from Indapur. Patil had served as the MLA for Indapur from 1995 to 2014, and just days ago, he met with Sharad Pawar, the leader of the NCP Sharad Pawar faction.

Harshvardhan Patil, who was elected three times as an independent candidate and once on a Congress ticket, has not been a member of the legislature for the past decade. He lost both the 2014 and 2019 elections to NCP's Dattatraya Bharane. Now, Patil is vying for a ticket. The Mahayuti alliance has yet to announce its seat-sharing arrangement, but it is widely expected that the "sitting-getting" formula will be adopted. If so, the Indapur seat is likely to go to Ajit Pawar's NCP faction, given Bharane's stronghold. This has left Patil feeling unsettled, as he continues his efforts to secure the candidacy.

Patil has raised objections, claiming that Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had promised, "Support us in the Lok Sabha elections, and we will help you in the Assembly elections." However, Patil alleges that Pawar is now reneging on his word. He expressed frustration that this isn’t the first time such a situation has occurred, and firmly stated that this time, he will not back down. This has led to speculation of growing tensions within the Mahayuti alliance over the Indapur seat. Patil’s absence from the BJP event has only heightened talk of his dissatisfaction.