Mumbai, September 12: Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Dharmarao Baba Atram's daughter Bhagyashri Atram joined the NCP (SP) on Thursday, despite attempts by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to dissuade her from crossing over to the Sharad Pawar-led party. State NCP (SP) president Jayant Patil and party leader Anil Deshmukh were present at the function held at Aheri in Gadchiroli district, where the minister's daughter joined the opposition party.
This development sparked speculation about a possible contest between Bhagyashri and her father, who is an MLA from Aheri, in the state assembly elections likely to be held in November. Bhagyashri said when her father was kidnapped by Naxalites, it was Sharad Pawar who ensured his safe return.
"This is my way of paying gratitude," she said, lamenting that her father left Sharad Pawar's side when the NCP split after Ajit Pawar joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra. Atram was kidnapped and held hostage by Maoists in 1991, who were demanding release of their supporters from jail. Sharad Pawar was the state chief minister at that time.Patil said Bhagyashri didn't approve of her father's decision.
"We postponed her return to the party because we wanted to see if she is firm on her decision," he said. Patil also said the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising the NCP (SP), Congress and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), will form the next government in the state and will fight to win all the seats it contests. "We will work to provide employment to the locals here (in Gadchiroli)", he said, the 'adivasi' (tribal) youth will be given skills training to get jobs.
There is a shortage of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses, Zilla Parishad schools, primary healthcare centres in the district, he lamented. Targeting the government, Deshmukh claimed that the "threat" to the Constitution still persists and that there is a need to stay alert.