20 March,2024 10:40 PM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondent
Bajrang Sonawane joins NCP
A leader from Beed, Bajrang Sonawane belonging to the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Wednesday joined the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) faction in Pune.
Sonawane had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Beed constituency, however, lost against BJP's Pritam Munde.
Speaking on the occasion, Sharad Pawar said Sonawane has done very good work in Beed district. "He also fought well in the last Lok Sabha elections. The elections for 2024 are declared and just have a month left to work. A meeting will take place where a decision about the final candidates will be taken," Sharad Pawar said.
Sharad Pawar highlighted that several leaders from Beed district were elected to Parliament in the past. "Beed is facing several issues including drought. We will turn the last time's defeat into victory this time," he added.
Earlier in the day, several leaders including NCP (SP) state unit president Jayant Patil and others met with Sharad Pawar ahead of the Maha Vikas Aaghadi's (MVA) meeting scheduled in Mumbai on Thursday. The MVA is yet to finalise its seat-sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
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The MVA consists of Congress, Shiv Sena-Uddhav Thackeray faction and NCP-Sharad Pawar faction.
From Beed constituency, the BJP this time has fielded Pankaja Munde, replacing her sister, sitting MP Pritam Munde. Speaking with the media last week after the announcement, the Munde sisters expressed confidence of winning the constituency again. With the work Pritam has done for the constituency and the added support of Dhananjay Munde, we are confident we can win, the Munde sisters said. Dhananjay Munde is now part of NCP-Ajit Pawar faction and also cousin of Pankaja.
Meanwhile, NCP Ajit Pawar faction on Tuesday emphasised the importance of following coalition principles and the need for unity within the Mahayuti alliance, citing the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) leader Vijay Shivtare's persistent criticism of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
NCP has publicly expressed its discontent with Shinde's Shiv Sena for the second time in the last ten days.
(With PTI inputs)
