Former Airoli MLA Sandeep Naik officially joined the NCP-SP on Tuesday at an event in Vashi, in the presence of senior party leader Jayant Patil. Naik clarified that his decision to join the NCP-SP was personal and unrelated to his father, Ganesh Naik.
Notably, the BJP chose Ganesh Naik to contest from the Airoli assembly constituency but denied Sandeep Naik the Belapur seat, instead backing two-term winner Manda Mhatre.
Speaking to the media after his switch to NCP-SP, Sandeep Naik reiterated that the decision was personal and made in consultation with party workers. "A total of 28 corporators, including a former mayor and opposition leader, have also joined NCP-SP today," Naik announced. He expressed frustration that his efforts were overlooked despite his hard work for the BJP during the 2019 assembly and the 2024 parliamentary elections.
Naik also claimed that his workers were mistreated and that the public representatives in the BJP were often unavailable to them. "I chose to join NCP-SP to support Navi Mumbai's development, based on requests from party workers," he said, stressing that his decision should not be seen as opposition to his father, who is running for the Airoli seat on a BJP ticket.
At the event, Jayant Patil welcomed Naik and praised him for consulting with his supporters before making the switch to the Sharad Pawar-led faction of the NCP. "This is nothing but ‘ghar wapasi’ (homecoming)," Patil remarked.
Earlier, on Monday, former Guardian Minister and Airoli MLA Ganesh Naik stated that Sandeep is free to make his own choices. His comment came shortly after launching his campaign in Bokode village, Koparkhairane.
While Ganesh Naik secured a BJP ticket for Airoli, his son, Sandeep, had been eyeing the Belapur assembly seat, which the party ultimately awarded to Manda Mhatre. When asked about his son's plans, Ganesh Naik recalled that he had contested his first election at the age of 21 and that Sandeep could make his own decisions. However, he noted that as the president of the BJP’s Navi Mumbai district unit, Sandeep had a responsibility to fulfill his duties. "I won’t stop him if he chooses to contest," Ganesh Naik said.