Sharad Pawar says open to taking back Ajit camp leaders, but there's a rider

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Tuesday clarified that any decision on inducting leaders from the rival NCP led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar will be taken on a case by case basis and it will not be a sweeping call.

Responding to a question at an event about speculation that many leaders from the ruling NCP want to join his party ahead of the state assembly polls, Sharad Pawar maintained there was no issue in welcoming people whose entry will benefit the opposition outfit and boost the morale of workers.

However, induction in the NCP (SP) will come with riders, asserted the former Union minister.

"Opinion of party colleagues needs to be taken about those who stayed in the party and got a lot from it, but worked to damage the organisation. That (opinion of party colleagues) has to be respected. It will be a case by case issue and not a general decision," the senior Pawar insisted.

The Rajya Sabha MP was speaking at an event here where former Union minister Surykanta Patil joined the NCP (SP). Patil had quit the undivided NCP to join the BJP in 2014 and has now returned to the party fold.

Sharad Pawar emphasised opinion of party leaders from districts will be taken into consideration before deciding on inducting leaders from that area. Role and contribution of such leaders will also be taken into consideration before approving their re-entry into the party.

NCP (SP) legislator Rohit Pawar last week claimed 18 to 19 MLAs of the Ajit Pawar-led outfit will cross over to their side after the upcoming monsoon session of the state legislature.

The monsoon session of the legislature will begin on June 27 and end on July 12. This will be the last session before the state heads for assembly elections which are due in October.

In July last year, Ajit Pawar joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government along with eight other MLAs, leading to a split in the 1999-founded party with a majority of legislators leaving the senior Pawar's side.

However, speculation is rife that many leaders in the Ajit Pawar camp want to switch sides post the NCP's drubbing in the just held Lok Sabha polls.

The NCP, an ally of the BJP and the Shiv Sena, contested on four Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra as part of the ruling coalition and won only one. The ruling outfit lost the prestigious Baramati constituency in Pune district, where Ajit Pawar's wife was its candidate.

On the other hand, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, a constituent of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), contested on 10 Lok Sabha seats and won eight.

The undivided NCP had won 54 assembly seats in the 2019 polls. When the party split in July 2023, the Ajit Pawar-led faction had claimed the support of around 40 MLAs.

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