Sandeep Waghere on Monday joined NCP in presence of national president Ajit Pawar.
Days after BJP roped several of its former corporators into its fold, the Ajit Pawar-led NCP hit back as Sandeep Waghere, considered a heavyweight BJP leader, joined the party.
“Sandeep Waghere today joined our party in presence of our national president Ajit Pawar. He joined our party on his own. He has his own reasons to leave BJP. You can ask him about it,” NCP Pimpri-Chinchwad president Yogesh Behl said.
Last week, as many as 23 leaders, including 13 NCP corporators, joined BJP. Before that, NCP had roped in three former BJP corporators and two from Shiv Sena.
When asked why he quit BJP, Waghere said, “I left BJP because I am opposed to those who are not loyal to one party.” He was referring to former mayor Sanjog Waghere who joined BJP. Sanjog Waghere was earlier in NCP, then joined Shiv Sena (UBT) during Lok Sabha elections and now during civic elections, he joined BJP.
Sandeep Waghere said during his five-year term from 2017-2022, BJP completely ignored him. “They shared all the posts among their close ones. I was not given any posts. They fully ignored me,” he said.
He said except for BJP MLA Amit Gorkhe, no one called him up and said not to leave the party. “Gorkhe urged me not to leave the party. None of the other leaders said so,” he said.
NCP Pimpri Chinchwad president Yogesh Behl denied a full-scale war between BJP and NCP has started. “I still maintain that the fight will be friendly between BJP and NCP. This ‘import and export business’ will continue in this elections. Our relations will not get soured in this election neither in the future,” he said.
Political analyst Sarang Kamtekar said, “Last week BJP roped in a few corporators of NCP. Most of them are spent force. They would anyway struggle to get elected. Some are strong leaders but I think because of election compulsions related to panel elections, they have left NCP. These people are close to the deputy chief minister, they would be one day back in NCP because of the ideology they believe in.”
Kamtekar said Sandeep Waghere is an outspoken leader and is a ‘gaon-wallah’ (son of the soil). “His joining NCP will further strengthen the party,” he said.
Behl said, “I can’t say how many more will join our party in the coming days. There are many wanting to join us. They are impressed by the leadership qualities of our national president. I think they are waiting for the green signal to join us.”