Ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections, Ajit Pawar on Tuesday faced a major setback as over 600 party workers and officials of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) from the Pune city unit resigned. The agitated workers were protesting the Governor's decision not to grant an MLC post to Pune City President Deepak Mankar. The development came on the same day when the Election Commission of India announced the schedule for the state assembly election.
Mankar's supporters gathered at the NCP office in the Narayanpeth area of Pune city on Tuesday evening and held a meeting, where they announced their resignation. The mass resignation included prominent names like city vice presidents, assembly constituency chiefs, various cell heads, and party workers.
Notably, the city unit had demanded Mankar's appointment to one of the three MLC seats allocated to the party from the Governor's quota. However, the NCP chose to re-nominate those with existing family connections to politics. They also prepared a memorandum to be submitted to the party national president and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, expressing disappointment and disillusionment.
They stated that Mankar had strengthened NCP in Pune city and hence deserved the MLC seat. They asserted that the snub would weaken the party in future. In their memorandum, leaders said, "We believed Ajit Pawar would provide justice to party workers. However, by denying Deepak Mankar the MLC seat, our trust has been broken."
Meanwhile, Datta Sagare, Vice President of NCP Pune City, said, "600 party workers resigned from their posts today in protest after Pune City President Deepak Mankar was denied the MLC post from the governor's quota by our top leadership."
Resigned from posts,
"We have resigned from our posts but will remain in the party. We are hopeful that Ajit Pawar will give us justice. In the next two days, Ajit Pawar is expected to come to Pune, and we will hand over our resignation to him. Today, over 600 workers resigned, and the number is expected to rise to 2500," Sagare added.
Another party worker Nilesh Shinde stated, "We wish our leader Deepak Mankar gets a chance to hold a higher post. He has been working for the party since 2014 and has been in politics for over 40 years. He is capable enough to strengthen the party cadre in Pune, but he has always been denied higher positions."
However, the resigning office-bearers vowed not to work for the party's alliance partners until Pawar provided a clear assurance. On Tuesday, the EC announced that the assembly elections in Maharashtra will be held in a single phase on November 20 and the counting of votes will be held on November 23.
Seven MLCs took oath
On Tuesday, seven MLCs were sworn in after the government released a list recommending ruling Mahayuti alliance candidates. Out of seven MLCs, three are from the BJP and two each from Shiv Sena and NCP. The NCP nominees include former MLA Chhagan Bhujbal's son Pankaj Bhujbal and Idris Naikwadi.
(With ANI Inputs)
