Will join NCP (SP) with supporters, says BJP leader Harshvardhan Patil

Harshvardhan Patil. Pic/Facebook (right) Sharad Pawar, chief, NCP-SP. File Pic

Maharashtra BJP leader Harshvardhan Patil on Friday announced that he would be joining the NCP (SP) along with his supporters, a day after he met party chief Sharad Pawar in Mumbai, reported news agency PTI.

BJP leader Harshvardhan Patil met Sharad Pawar at the latter's Silver Oaks residence in south Mumbai on Thursday, reported PTI.

Following the meeting, he claimed Pawar had urged him to join his party and contest the Maharashtra assembly elections.

The assembly elections in Maharashtra are likely to be held next month.

Patil, who has been elected as MLA four times from Indapur seat, is aspiring to contest from Indapur again. The seat is represented by the BJP's alliance partner, NCP, which is likely to field sitting MLA Dattatray Bharne again this time.

Talking to reporters on Friday, Patil said, "I had a meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over my political stand. We had a detailed discussion for over two and a half hours. Since the Indapur seat is going to the sitting MLA from Mahayuti (Dattatraya Bharne of NCP), he (Fadnavis) assured me of another option. Though the option would have been feasible for me, it would not have been acceptable to my supporters and people from my constituency," reported PTI.

BJP leader Harshvardhan Patil said he held a meeting with his supporters and decided to join the NCP (SP) with them, reported PTI.

BJP leader Harshvardhan Patil served as minister of state for agriculture and marketing in the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance government during 1995-99. He won the 1995 assembly election as an independent candidate.

He was a minister during the Congress-NCP alliance government from 1999 to 2014. He joined the Congress in 2009 and was the minister of cooperation and parliamentary affairs.

On Thursday, Maharashtra BJP leader Harshvardhan Patil met NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar in Mumbai.

Patil told PTI that he met Pawar at the latter's Silver Oaks residence in south Mumbai.

"Pawar urged me to join his party and contest the assembly elections. He said he would get me elected," Patil said.

State BJP minister Chandrakant Patil told reporters that the former state minister will regret his decision to join the Pawar-led party.

Those realising that they will not be fielded again (by the BJP) for the assembly polls are quitting the party, he added.

"When we win the elections and he comes back to us to be readmitted in the party, our top leaders will decide whether to take him back or not," Chandrakant Patil said.

Speculations have been rife that Harshvardhan Patil, a former MLA from Indapur assembly seat in Baramati Lok Sabha constituency, would switch sides, especially after NCP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said those who won the seat last time will get to retain the seat.

(With inputs from PTI)