In a significant political gathering, Sharad Pawar, chief of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction), convened a meeting at his residence in Mumbai to strategize on upcoming electoral preparations. The meeting was attended by prominent party leaders, including Maharashtra NCP (SP) president Jayant Patil, Rajesh Tope, and Anil Deshmukh. The primary agenda of the meeting revolved around seat-sharing arrangements for the upcoming elections. As political dynamics shift in Maharashtra, the NCP (SP) aims to solidify its alliances and ensure a united front to maximize electoral prospects. With Maharashtra headed for the Assembly polls later this year, the cycle of defections involving various parties has picked up pace, with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) appearing to emerge as its major beneficiary so far.
Five senior leaders from the BJP and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP have crossed over to the NCP (SP) since April. On Thursday, NCP leader Bhagyashree Atram, the daughter of Dharamrao Baba Atram, an NCP minister, switched to Sharad Pawar’s party. Bapusaheb Pathare, a former member of the legislative assembly (MLA) who had previously aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has returned to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Sharad Pawar. Pathare formally rejoined the party on Tuesday at Pawar's Mumbai residence, accompanied by his son Surendra and three former corporators: Mahadev Pathare, Mahendra Pathare, and Bhaiyyasaheb Jadhav.
Pathare is likely to receive a candidature for the Vadgaon Sheri assembly constituency in Pune, potentially pitting him against the current NCP MLA Sunil Tingre, who has been embroiled in controversy surrounding a recent Porsche crash case in Pune. Pathare's return marks the third instance of a BJP leader joining the NCP (Sharad Pawar) faction, following royal descendant Raje Samarjeetsinh Ghatge from Kolhapur and former MP Suryakanta Patil. Pathare previously represented the Vadgaon Sheri seat as an NCP MLA from 2009 to 2014 but failed to secure re-election in 2014 when all parties contested independently. Citing alleged internal conflicts, he joined the BJP in 2019. However, the party opted for sitting MLA Jagdish Mulik as its candidate for the assembly polls that year.