Mumbai, December 29 (NationPress) In a significant turn of events, the NCP led by Sharad Pawar faced a considerable setback when Rakhi Jadhav, the head of its Mumbai unit, announced her departure from the party to join the BJP. This unexpected shift has left the Pawar camp reeling, particularly since Jadhav was one of the leading candidates for the upcoming BMC elections.

Jadhav officially joined the BJP alongside notable figures such as Amit Satam, the Mumbai BJP chief, Ashish Shelar, the Minister of Information Technology, and Parag Shah, the legislator from Ghatkopar East.

Interestingly, former minister and influential BJP figure Prakash Mehta, who had previously represented Ghatkopar East, was notably absent during her induction.

It is anticipated that Jadhav will receive the BJP nomination for the N ward, where she was previously elected. Her decision to switch allegiance to the BJP comes just before the deadline for nomination submissions, which is December 30, with polling slated for January 15 and vote counting on January 16.

Reports suggest that Jadhav was dissatisfied with the seat-sharing dynamics within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, particularly regarding the NCP (SP)'s concessions of various wards in Mumbai to the Shiv Sena (UBT).

Jadhav is a well-known personality in Mumbai politics, having served three terms as a corporator in Ghatkopar and leading the NCP in the BMC assembly. She is also set to contest the 2024 Assembly elections against Parag Shah in Ghatkopar East. Her exit is part of a trend, following the departure of former Pune city chief Prashant Jagtap, who recently joined the Congress.

This decision from Jadhav comes amid ongoing negotiations for a seat-sharing agreement between the NCP(SP) and Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT). Veteran legislator Jayant Patil had discussions last week with Thackeray regarding a potential alliance, but no consensus has yet been reached.

In a related note, the BJP recently released its initial list of 66 candidates for the BMC elections, featuring a diverse mix of Marathi-speaking individuals and North Indians, alongside both seasoned and younger candidates. The list includes Tejaswini Ghosalkar, a recent defector from Shiv Sena (UBT), Neel Somaiya, the son of former MP Kirit Somaiya, Navnath Ban, a state party media coordinator, and Ravi Raja, the former Leader of Opposition in the BMC, who transitioned from Congress to BJP.

Raja is set to contest from Ward No 185 in Dharavi, marking a direct challenge to the Congress's stronghold in that area. The candidate list also features Makarand Narvekar (Ward 226) and Harshita Narvekar (Ward 227), relatives of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar, along with Tejinder Singh Tiwana (Ward 47).