MUMBAI: Former Maharashtra minister and NCPs Navi Mumbai strongman Ganesh Naik joined BJP along with around 50 party corporators on Wednesday, adding to the growing list of opposition figures who have switched over to the ruling party ahead of the assembly polls. Former Maharashtra minister and Congress leader Harshavardhan Patil too joined BJP on Wednesday. Shiv Sena reacted to the continued exodus with its MP Sanjay Raut advising such leaders to not join the BJP-Sena alliance only to become MPs or MLAs.
The latest setback for NCP came at a time when its leadership is in talks with Congress to finalise seat-sharing for the 288-member assembly.
Naik, his son, former MP Sanjeev, and the 50-odd corporators of the Navi Municipal Corporation (NMMC) formally joined BJP in the presence of Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis. Naiks entry into BJP now paves the way for the ruling party to control the NMMC.
Patil, a four-time MLA from Indapur in Pune district lost the 2014 assembly polls by a slim margin to NCPs Dattatrey Bharne tOriginal Article
