Mumbai

In a significant blow to the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the NCP, OBC leader Ishwar Balbudhe joined the Sharad Pawar-led opposition camp in Mumbai on Friday. Balbudhe’s move was announced in the presence of Maharashtra NCP President Jayant Patil and NCP-SCP leader Anil Deshmukh.

Earlier, on September 10, Jayant Patil commented that Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar seems to be heavily influenced by consultants. He noted, Ajit Pawar has changed; he now relies on advisers for his speeches, spending considerable money on their guidance.

Ajit Pawar had previously led a split within the NCP in July last year, aligning with the National Democratic Alliance and taking office as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. The upcoming Maharashtra legislative assembly elections will involve competition across 288 constituencies, with dates yet to be announced by the Election Commission.

The election will see a clash between the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition, which includes the UBT Shiv Sena, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Congress, and the Maha Yuti Alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction). The recent Lok Sabha elections favored the Maha Vikas Aghadi, which secured 30 seats, while the Maha Yuti Alliance garnered only 17 seats.