While the Opposition claimed that it will win more than 175 seats in the Maharashtra Assembly polls next month, it suffered yet another setback on Monday, with Namita Mundada, the Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP) candidate for Kej in Beed district, joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
NCP chief Sharad Pawar had announced Ms. Mundada, the daughter-in-law of former minister and NCP leader late Vimal Mundada, as the Kej candidate during his tour of Beed district.
The seat is currently held by the BJP’s Sangita Thombre, but sources said the BJP is likely to drop Ms. Thombre and field Ms. Mundada instead. Ms. Mundada’s husband, Akshay, also joined the BJP on Monday.
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BJP leader Pankaja Munde said, “We have always maintained cordial relations with the Mundada family despite being in different parties. The family has been with the NCP since its foundation. We are happy that they feel they can work for the constituency’s development by joining the BJP.”
Meanwhile, in Nagpur, Congress MLA from Gondia, Gopaldas Aggrawal, joined the BJP in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Besides, NCP MLA from Karjat, Suresh Lad, is set to join the Shiv Sena in a day or two, as per sources.
The NCP also saw some leaders coming into its fold from other parties on Monday. Congress MLA from Pandharpur, Bharat Bhelke, and former Shiv Sena MLA from Shahapur (ST), Daulat Daroda, joined the party at its headquarters in presence of NCP State president Jayant Patil and senior leader Ajit Pawar. Mr. Daroda joined the NCP two months after the party’s sitting Shahapur MLA, Pandurang Varora, switched to the Sena.
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Addressing a press conference at the NCP headquarters, Ajit Pawar said the Opposition would cross the 175 mark in the elections. “The official announcement of the Opposition alliance will be made in a press conference on October 2. We are confident that we will win the majority,” he said.