Political Turmoil as Key Congress Leader Joins NCP; Pune Unit Resignations Shakeup

Javed Shroff, Mumbai Congress Secretary, defected to Ajit Pawar's NCP ahead of Maharashtra elections. In contrast, NCP's Pune unit saw mass resignations over Deepak Mankar's denied MLC post. Amid political shifts, Maharashtra elections approach, setting a tense stage for parties involved.

In a significant political development, Javed Shroff, the General Secretary of Mumbai Congress, has joined the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) just ahead of the assembly elections in Maharashtra. The switch was made official during a ceremony attended by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and state NCP chief Sunil Tatkare.

There was a contrasting scene within the NCP as over 600 officials and workers from its Pune city unit tendered their resignations. The mass exit was triggered by the denial of an MLC post to Pune City President Deepak Mankar, a move attributed to the governor's decision, and seen as a major setback for the party.

The departing members emphasized their dissatisfaction, presenting Ajit Pawar with a memorandum, underscoring Mankar's contributions and expressing their broken trust. Despite resigning, the officials pledged continued loyalty to the party, hoping for eventual justice from their leadership.

(With inputs from agencies.)