Former minister Rajendra Shingne returns to Sharad Pawar-led NCP ahead of Maharashtra polls

Rajendra Shingne on Saturday joined the NCP (SP). Pic/X

Ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly election 2024, former Maharashtra minister Rajendra Shingne on Saturday returned to the Sharad Pawar-led faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), reported the PTI.

Rajendra Shingne had quit the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) last year and joined the Ajit Pawar-led NCP which is part of the ruling BJP-led coalition.

IN PHOTOS: Parts of Mumbai witness heavy rains

1 month agoPHOTO GALLERY

Shingne was welcomed back into the party fold by Sharad Pawar and state NCP (SP) chief Jayant Patil in Mumbai on Saturday.

Harshvardhan Patil and Vijaysinh Mohite Patil, who recently joined the NCP (SP), were also present on the occasion.

Rajendra Shingne is a five-time MLA from Sindkhedraja in eastern Maharashtra.

Meanwhile, a day after tensions between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress over seat-sharing for the Maharashtra assembly election 2024 surfaced, Congress's state in-charge Ramesh Chennithala on Saturday met former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

Leaders of the three Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) parties involved in the ongoing seat-sharing talks also met in the evening in a bid to break the impasse as the state is set to go to polls on November 20.

While Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) are yet to declare their seat-sharing arrangement, their INDIA bloc ally and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Singh Yadav has declared candidates for five of the 12 seats he is demanding, according to the PTI.

In a message to Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said the current national politics is driven by regional parties and they must get their space.

The filing of nominations will begin from Sunday, but both the ruling Mahayuti coalition and Opposition MVA alliance are yet to finalise the seat distribution.
Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday had cautioned that the haggling among the allies must not reach the breaking point. State Congress chief Nana Patole had said there was a stalemate over 25 to 30 seats.

On Saturday, Chennithala met Thackeray at the latter's residence 'Matoshree', stating that he wanted to inquire about Uddhav Thackeray's health.

The Opposition alliance's seat-sharing talks will conclude in "one or two days", he said after meeting the allies and state Congress leaders.

(with PTI inputs)