Blow for BJP in Maharashtra: Former minister Laxman Dhobale joins Sharad Pawar's NCP

Ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday suffered setbacks as its former minister Laxman Dhobale joined Sharad Pawar's NCP. Dhobale joined the NCP-Sharad Pawar faction in the presence of party MP Supriya Sule.  

Dhobale's political influence is rooted in the Solapur region. During his tenure as a minister, he handled portfolios such as water supply and sanitation. He played a role in policies aimed at rural development and water management, particularly in drought-prone areas of Maharashtra. 

This is the second major defection from the BJP in two days. On Tuesday, former MLA Sandeep Naik joined the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP). Naik is expected to contest the upcoming Assembly elections from the Belapur constituency, where the BJP has already re-nominated its sitting MLA, Manda Mhatre.

Sandeep Naik’s defection is significant, given his political lineage. His father, Ganesh Naik, a former minister with strong influence in the Navi Mumbai region, has been re-nominated by the BJP to contest from the Airoli constituency. Sources told PTI that Sandeep Naik was unhappy with the BJP’s decision to deny him a ticket for the Belapur seat, prompting his exit from the party.

The rivalry between the Naik family and BJP’s Manda Mhatre has historically shaped the political dynamics in Belapur. The constituency, which has a considerable population from the Agri-Koli community, was previously represented by Ganesh Naik when he was with the undivided NCP. However, Naik lost to Mhatre in the 2014 elections before switching to the BJP.

Further complicating matters for the BJP, Rajan Teli, a senior party leader from the Sindhudurg district, resigned from the party’s primary membership last Friday and is set to join the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT). Teli, who had been the BJP’s in-charge for the Sawantwadi Assembly segment, said he had grown frustrated within the party, especially after former Union Minister Narayan Rane and his family joined the BJP.

Teli voiced opposition to the possibility of one family dominating both Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies. Meanwhile, Nitesh Rane, the younger son of Narayan Rane and sitting MLA from Kankavli in Sindhudurg, has been re-nominated by the BJP to contest from the same seat.