Sharad Pawar NCP loyalist Rahul Jagtap Likely To Join Ajit Pawar NCP After Mahayuti's Landslide Win in 2024 Maharashtra Assembly Election

Mahyuti led by BJP got a clear majority in Maharashtra assembly election. In contrast, the Mahavikas Aghadi, comprising the Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena, the Sharad Pawar faction of NCP, and the Congress party, faced significant losses. Before the elections, many leaders switched to Sharad Pawar's NCP. However, following the election results, former MLA Rahul Jagtap from Sharad Pawar's NCP announced he would leave the party and is expected to join Ajit Pawar's faction of the Nationalist Congress Party.

Despite the split within the NCP, Rahul Jagtap chose to remain loyal to Sharad Pawar. He expressed interest in contesting the Shrigonda assembly seat for the 2024 elections. However, this seat was filled by the Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena, which nominated Anuradha Nagawade as its candidate. This decision led Jagtap to rebel, stating that the choice of candidate should come from the people of Shrigonda taluka, not from Mumbai. He declared his intention to run as an independent candidate, believing that voters would prefer a dedicated and honest representative.

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As a result, the Shrigonda assembly constituency saw a three-way contest among Mahayuti's Vikram Pachpute, Mahavikas Aghadi's Anuradha Nagawade, and independent candidate Rahul Jagtap. Vikram Pachpute from Mahayuti emerged victorious in this election. Following the results, rebel candidate Rahul Jagtap met with NCP President Ajit Pawar, and sources suggest he is planning to make a significant decision, potentially rejoining the NCP in Ajit Pawar's presence after the cabinet expansion.