Mumbai: In a major political development ahead of the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections, former minister and NCP (SP) leader Prajakt Tanpure joined the BJP on Saturday, in a move seen as a significant setback for the Sharad Pawar-led faction. Tanpure’s switch comes amid intense political manoeuvring over seat-sharing negotiations within the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance. His move had been anticipated for months, particularly after he withdrew from the Rahuri Assembly by-election at the last moment, forcing the NCP (SP) to field another candidate.
Senior NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil said he had not been in touch with Tanpure and expressed surprise over the development. “I think he has taken the decision considering the situation in his constituency,” said Patil, who is Tanpure’s maternal uncle.
Tanpure, accompanied by his son Soham Tanpure and supporters, joined the BJP in Mumbai in the presence of Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan and former MP Sujay Vikhe-Patil. Political circles believe the BJP may field Tanpure from the Ahmednagar (Ahilyanagar) Local Authorities Constituency in the upcoming Legislative Council elections.
A former MLA from Rahuri and Minister of State in the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government, Tanpure is the son of former legislator Prasad Tanpure, who represented the Rahuri Assembly constituency for nearly 25 years. The Tanpure family continues to wield considerable influence in the region and controls the Rahuri Municipal Council.
Explaining his decision, Tanpure said he had consulted party workers and supporters, who were concerned about their political future. He rejected speculation that his move was linked to the Enforcement Directorate’s probe into the Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank (MSCB) scam, noting that he had already received relief from the court. “There was no pressure from any investigative agency. The ED had taken action against me in one case, but last month the court gave me a clean chit,” he said.
The ED had attached Tanpure’s land in connection with the alleged scam. Last month, a special PMLA court discharged Tanpure and his father from the money-laundering case after accepting the closure report in the underlying MSCB scam.
Responding to a question, Tanpure said that when Ajit Pawar had sought support for aligning with the BJP and collected signatures from undivided NCP MLAs, he had left the meeting without signing the letter. “However, there has been tremendous pressure from workers in my constituency. Therefore, I have decided to join the BJP for the development of my region,” he said.
Tanpure also revealed that he had informed NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule about his decision. “I did not have the courage to meet Sharad Pawar or my uncle Jayant Patil and tell them about my decision. Therefore, I did not meet either of them,” he said.
Chavan said that during discussions ahead of the recent Rahuri by-election, Tanpure and his supporters had expressed a desire to work under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to resolve key issues affecting the constituency’s three talukas. “Tanpure has a deep understanding of public issues and has worked with various sections of society for many years. The BJP will honour the trust he has shown by joining the party and will stand firmly behind him,” the state BJP president said.
In Pune, NCP (SP) working president and MP Supriya Sule criticised the BJP for inducting Tanpure. “Prajakt met me yesterday and explained the problems he was facing. I cannot discuss those matters on camera. The BJP had raised the slogan of a ‘Congress-free India’ in 2014. Now, in Ahilyanagar district, the BJP has become 100 per cent Congress-infused,” she said.
Ms Sule further noted that Legislative Council Chairman Ram Shinde is the only BJP leader in Ahilyanagar originally from the party, while most other BJP legislators had migrated from rival parties. “During the 2014 elections, people wanted change. But the same 100 families that were once in the Congress are now in the BJP. What change has taken place in the state?” she asked.
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