Mumbai: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) received a jolt on the eve of the Lok Sabha polls results as its senior leader Jaydutt Kshirsagar, an MLA, quit the party and joined the Shiv Sena along with his supporters on Wednesday. Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray welcomed him into his party at the Sena headquarters at Dadar.
Mr Kshirsagar was a prominent leader of the NCP from Beed district, but he was disgruntled due to internal politics in the party.
His entry into the Shiv Sena came as no surprise as he had campaigned actively against the NCP candidate during the Lok Sabha polls.
Mr Kshirsagar was upset with the NCP leadership as, according to him, the party ignored him and gave more importance to his rival Dhananjay Munde in Beed. He had also repeatedly slammed the party leader in the district.
During the Lok Sabha election campaign, he had backed BJP’s Beed candidate Pritam Munde, who is Mr Munde’s estranged cousin, against the NCP candidate Bajrang Sonawane.
On Wednesday, to leader submitted his resignation to speaker Haribhau Bagade before leaving for Shiv Sena Bhavan. “I felt suffocated within the NCP. Hence, I have decided to quit as MLA and resign from the party’s primary membership. I think I will be able to work freely in the Shiv Sena and that’s why I am joining that party,” he said.
The NCP made light of the development, saying it was in the offing for long, and it would not affect the party in Beed.
“It’s good that he selected today to quit the party as tomorrow’s results will give a big lead to the NCP from Beed. After that no party would have welcomed him into its fold,” said Mr Munde.
The NCP’s chief spokesperson Nawab Malik also said Mr Kshirsagar had mentally left the party long ago and continued to remain a member formally only to save his position as MLA.
