Within six months after joining Congress, former MP Bhaskar Khatgaonkar joins NCP

Mumbai: Former Member of Parliament Bhaskar Khatgaonkar, who switched allegiance from the BJP to the Congress just six months ago, has now joined the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). He was formally inducted into the party on Sunday in the presence of NCP president and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar at an event in Nanded.

A veteran leader, Khatgaonkar has previously served three terms as a Member of Parliament and three terms as an MLA from the Biloli and Deglur assembly constituencies. He is also the brother-in-law of former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan. However, despite their family ties, the two have long been considered political rivals.

Khatgaonkar’s political trajectory has seen multiple shifts in recent years. Months after Ashok Chavan left the Congress to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Khatgaonkar, on the other hand, chose to leave BJP to join Congress.

However, within six months, following the Congress’ disappointing performance in the state assembly elections held in November last year, he decided to align himself with Ajit Pawar-led NCP.

The NCP is one of the three ruling allies in Maharashtra, along with the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Khatgaonkar’s induction is expected to strengthen the party’s base in Nanded, a district that was a Congress stronghold for decades until Chavan’s defection to the BJP reshaped the local political landscape.

Welcoming Khatgaonkar into the NCP, Ajit Pawar emphasised the party’s focus on consolidating its position in the district. “This move will bolster the NCP in Nanded. We must create history in the upcoming local body elections,” Pawar said.