NewKerala.com

Major Blow to Sharad Pawar as Mumbai NCP Chief Rakhi Jadhav Joins BJP

In a significant pre-poll setback for Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP), its Mumbai unit president Rakhi Jadhav resigned and joined the BJP just before the nomination deadline for the BMC elections. Jadhav, a three-time corporator, was reportedly dissatisfied with the party having to concede wards to ally Shiv Sena (UBT) within the Maha Vikas Aghadi. Her defection is part of a broader pattern of exits from the NCP (SP) and follows the BJP's release of a candidate list featuring several other high-profile defectors. This move intensifies the political battle for Mumbai ahead of the January polls, with the BJP directly challenging opposition strongholds.

Key Points: NCP's Mumbai Chief Rakhi Jadhav Joins BJP Before BMC Polls

  • Key leader defects to BJP
  • Blow to MVA alliance
  • Seat-sharing discontent
  • BJP's strategic candidate list
3 min read

Jolt to Sharad Pawar as Mumbai NCP (SP) chief Rakhi Jadhav joins BJP ahead of BMC polls

In a major setback for Sharad Pawar, NCP (SP) Mumbai chief Rakhi Jadhav quits and joins BJP ahead of BMC elections, citing seat-sharing frustrations.

"She chose to desert NCP(SP) and enter the BJP on the second last day of filing of nominations. - Report"

Mumbai, Dec 29

The Sharad Pawar-led NCP on Monday received a major blow after the party's Mumbai unit chief, Rakhi Jadhav, quit the party and joined the BJP. Her move has stunned the Sharad Pawar camp, as she herself was one of the key contestants for the BMC elections and was leading the party for the same.

Jadhav joined the BJP in the presence of Mumbai BJP chief Amit Satam, the BJP in charge of BMC elections, and Information Technology Minister Ashish Shelar, Ghatkopar East legislator Parag Shah, among others.

Incidentally, former minister and prominent BJP leader Prakash Mehta, who had represented the Ghatkopar East constituency earlier, was conspicuous by his absence when Jadhav joined the BJP.

Jadhav is expected to get the BJP nomination from the N ward, from where she was elected earlier, and will be nominated this time, too. She chose to desert NCP(SP) and enter the BJP on the second last day of filing of nominations. The last date is December 30, while the polling is scheduled for January 15 and counting on January 16.

Jadhav was reportedly unhappy with the seat-sharing arrangement within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance. She had expressed frustration over the NCP (SP) having to concede several wards in Mumbai to the Shiv Sena (UBT).

Jadhav is a prominent figure in Mumbai politics, having served as a three-time corporator from Ghatkopar and the leader of the NCP in the BMC house. She also contested the 2024 Assembly elections against Parag Shah in Ghatkopar East. Jadhav's exit follows other recent departures from the NCP (SP), including former Pune city chief Prashant Jagtap, who recently joined the Congress.

Jadhav's decision comes when NCP(SP) has yet to arrive at a seat-sharing arrangement with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT). The veteran NCP(SP) legislator Jayant Patil held talks last week with the Shiv Sena(UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray for an alliance, but they have yet to reach a consensus.

Earlier, the BJP released a first list of 66 candidates for the BMC elections, which includes a mix of Marathi-speaking as well as North Indians, and also veterans and youth. The party has nominated Tejaswini Ghosalkar, who recently quit the Shiv Sena (UBT) and joined the BJP; Neel Somaiya, son of former MP Kirit Somaiya; Navnath Ban, a state party media coordinator; and Ravi Raja, the former Leader of Opposition in the BMC who recently defected from the Congress to join the BJP.

Raja will contest from Ward No 185 in Dharavi, a move seen as a direct challenge to the Congress stronghold in that region. The list also includes Makarand Narvekar (Ward 226) and Harshita Narvekar (Ward 227) (both are family members of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar) and Tejinder Singh Tiwana (Ward 47).

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Honestly, this shows the complete disarray within the MVA. If your own Mumbai unit chief leaves, what message does it send to the workers? The alliance partners are busy fighting over seats while the BJP is smartly poaching strong candidates. Sharad Pawar saheb needs to get his house in order.
A
Aman W
From a purely strategic point of view, this is a masterstroke by BJP. They are weakening the opposition and strengthening their own slate with experienced local leaders. Rakhi Jadhav knows Ghatkopar inside out. For BMC elections, local connect is everything.
S
Sarah B
As an observer, I find the timing fascinating. The second last day for nominations! It gives the old party no time to react or field a strong replacement. It's a cold, calculated political move. The real losers are the citizens of that ward, who are now just pawns.
K
Karthik V
The article mentions she was unhappy with seat-sharing. If the Shiv Sena (UBT) is taking too many seats, it shows a lack of respect for the NCP's ground strength in Mumbai. Maybe this defection is a symptom of a bigger problem in the alliance. They need to work as a team, not competitors.
N
Nisha Z
Ultimately, does the party symbol matter more than the work? If she is a good corporator and can bring development to N ward, people might still support her. But this sets a bad precedent. Loyalty has no value anymore. It's all about power and position.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50