Days after Ajit announces his nomination, NCP’s Phaltan MLA Deepak Chavan, Sanjeevraje Naik join NCP (SP)

Phaltan MLA Deepak Chavan, formerly with the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), joined the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) on Monday at a public rally attended by Sharad Pawar. He was accompanied by Sanjeev Naik Nimbalkar, the brother of senior leader Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar.

Chavan’s switch to Sharad Pawar camp comes just two weeks after Ajit announced his candidacy for Phaltan. The NCP chief had announced Chavan’s candidature from Phaltan over phone when Ramraje Naik called him up.

Close associate of Ramraje Naik, Chavan stated that he had the former’s blessings for every step he took. Ramraje Naik, a former speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC), is a prominent figure in the region.

While Ramraje Naik was absent at the rally, he has chosen to remain neutral in the upcoming assembly elections after Ajit last week convinced him not to switch side. Sharad Pawar indicated that Ramraje Naik’s sympathies lie with NCP (SP), saying, “His heart is with us. He is unhappy with the ruling alliance.”

Both Chavan and Sanjeev Naik Nimbalkar refrained from naming anyone, but their remarks appeared to target a local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader. The tensions between Ramraje Naik and BJP leader Ranjeetsinh Nimbalkar have been simmering, notably affecting the Lok Sabha polls, during which the former distanced himself from latter’s campaign.

As the BJP leadership bolsters its local leaders, the departures of Chavan and Sanjeev Naik to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) were seen as significant moves. Though Ramraje Naik has publicly declared that he would stay out of the campaign, his stance subtly hints at support for the MVA. Ramraje Naik, as an MLC, did not formally join senior Pawar’s faction but was present when the veteran leader visited their family home.

During his address, Sharad Pawar criticised the ruling Mahayuti government’s timing of initiatives aimed at supporting women, saying, “When Devendra Fadnavis was chief minister, he did not focus on supporting women. Now, after Maharashtra handed 31 out of 48 Lok Sabha seats to MVA, they have started such schemes.”

Pawar expressed concerns about Maharashtra’s governance, adding, “The state is in the wrong hands. There are rising crimes against women. We will not let Maharashtra become like Haryana. I am confident voters will make the right choice.” He emphasised the strength of local support, recalling Baramati campaigns where, though quiet, voters showed strong backing.