MUMBAI: In a setback to the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP), former Maharashtra minister Prajakt Tanpure from Ahilyanagar on Saturday quit the party and joined the ruling BJP, saying the move was taken after consultations with his supporters amid evolving political circumstances.
He joined the saffron party in Mumbai in the presence of its state unit chief Ravindra Chavan and former Lok Sabha member Sujay Vikhe Patil.
Speaking on the occasion, he said, "Today I have joined the BJP. This decision has been taken after discussions with all my supporters."
He said he did not have the courage to speak to NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar or party leader Jayant Patil about his move, but had conveyed his position to its MP Supriya Sule.
Speaking to reporters before the induction ceremony, Tanpure said his decision to switch sides was not easy and denied that it was driven by fear of central agencies.
"This was not an easy decision. I still feel the pain of leaving the NCP (SP). There are reasons behind joining the BJP. I had shared my concerns with Jayant Patil earlier. I am not joining the BJP out of fear of the ED...The notice to our factory has been nullified, so that issue no longer exists," he said.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had attached Tanpure's land in the alleged Maharashtra State Co-operative (MSC) Bank fraud case in 2022.
He said he would abide by the BJP's decisions and hoped rural issues would be addressed. He also clarified that he had no immediate ambition for a ministerial post.
Explaining the reason behind the shift, Tanpure, who was minister of state for urban development and energy during the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, said he had been in the opposition for past several years and his workers were increasingly concerned about their political survival.
"I have taken a big decision. This is not mine alone, but that of my workers who have stood by me. After years of struggle outside power, they feel their political existence is at stake. Somewhere, political work survives with the support of power," he said.
Tanpure added that while not all views of a party may align, one must move ahead with ideas that resonate.
His induction is expected to bolster the BJP's position in Rahuri and the wider Ahilyanagar region, where the Tanpure family wields considerable influence.