1 / 8Veteran NCP leader Jitendra Awhad has claimed that he was offered key posts by BJP and Shiv Sena in the past in a bid to leave NCP.2 / 8“Late BJP leader Gopinath Munde had once offered me the ticket to contest polls on his party ticket and had also said to be ready to speak with Balasaheb for the same, I held him in high regards but had humbly refused the offer.'3 / 8On another account, Matoshri (Uddhav Thackeray) had offered me the highest position from Thane through Milind Narvekar which I had refused to take up as I was and I am loyal to my mentor Sharad Pawar, Awhad said.4 / 8The NCP leader made the revelation to state how he remained loyal to his party despite the lure to join opposition.5 / 8Jitendra Ahwad was Member of the Legislative Assembly of Maharashtra for 3 terms representing Mumbra-Kalwa in Thane. 6 / 8He has previously served as Cabinet Minister of Medical Education and Horticulture in 2014 and Housing and Minority Affairs from 2019 to 2022. He also served as the Guardian Minister of Solapur from 2020. He belongs to the Nationalist Congress Party.7 / 8Awhad was greatly influenced by Sharad Pawar during his university days and considered him as his mentor. He joined the students’ wing of the Indian National Congress and held positions such as Chief Secretary & General Secretary in the Maharashtra unit while being the President of the Akhil Bhartiya Vanjara Youth Association. In 1988 he became the Maharashtra Pradesh National Students' Union of India (NSUI) Chief Secretary, following that he was appointed the General Secretary of all India NSUI in 1991.8 / 8Rida Rashid, a BJP party worker from Mumbra, had filed a molestation case against Mr Awhad in November during the Kalwa bridge inauguration by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.Rashid alleged that when the new bridge was being inaugurated, the MLA had touched her with the wrong intention. Awhad was charged with Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 354 which deals with the assault or criminal force to woman with the intent to outrage her modesty. A local court granted anticipatory bail to Awhad in the case.