Sharad Pawar faction MLA joins Ajit camp

Nationalist Congress Party MLA from Wai constituency in Maharashtra's Satara district, Makarand Patil, on Monday, said he has joined the camp led by senior party leader and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

Patil said he decided to join the Ajit Pawar camp to save two sugar factories in his constituency which are in financial crisis and in the hope of bringing development and resolving tourism-related issues in Wai.

Notably, Patil was present during NCP founder Sharad Pawar's visit to Karad city, a day after Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government.

The MLA claimed his name had figured in the list of nine ministers of NCP, including Ajit Pawar who took oath last Sunday.

"But I told Ajit Pawar that I would have to consult my supporters and people from the constituency before taking any decision," he told PTI.

Several workers and supporters of Patil from Satara district met Ajit Pawar in Mumbai on Saturday.

In the video of the meeting, an NCP functionary from the Wai constituency is seen demanding a Cabinet berth for Patil.

The MLA said it was a very difficult call to take as both Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar are dear to him.

"It was a tough decision. Recently, I took over two sugar factories that were in a financial crisis. Just because of people's insistence, I contested the elections to these factories. I could handle the last year's (sugarcane crushing) season without any problem," he said.

Patil said they faced various difficulties in the last year when not in power in managing the factories.

"Against this backdrop, we have decided (to join the Ajit Pawar camp) to save these sugar factories, and to address the issues related to development and tourism in my constituency," he added.

Patil claimed he took this decision on the insistence of NCP workers who flagged issues related to the sugar mills and development in Wai.

After joining the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government, the Ajit Pawar camp has staked the claim to the NCP name and symbol.

Ajit Pawar loyalists, including Praful Patel, are insisting that they have the support of "40 plus" out of the 53 MLAs of NCP.