Ghatge joins NCP (SP), likely to contest assembly polls against Mushrif

Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Raje Samarjeet Ghatge on Tuesday formally joined the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) in the presence of its chief Sharad Pawar, who hinted that Ghatge is likely to be the party candidate from Kagal in the upcoming assembly polls. If fielded, Ghatge would be a candidate against NCP MLA Hasan Mushrif, who joined the ruling Mahayuti government and became minister.
Addressing the crowd during a public rally at Kagal in Kolhapur district, Pawar without directly naming Mushrif, said, “Although people voted for him in Kagal, he and his colleagues switched sides. The people of Kagal will make sure he faces consequences for the betrayal.”
The veteran politician alleged corruption in the construction of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue at Malvan in Sindhudurg district. The statue, which collapsed last month, had been unveiled six months ago by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Pawar criticised the BJP’s handling of the situation. He said, “The statue was built in Malvan, a place that honours the strategic sea forts established by Shivaji Maharaj. It is shocking that a statue inaugurated just six months ago collapsed.”
Pawar noted that when questioned about the incident, chief minister Eknath Shinde attributed the collapse to strong winds. He contrasted this with the statue of Shivaji Maharaj at the Gateway of India in Mumbai, built 60 years ago by the state’s first chief minister Yashwantrao Chavan, which remains intact.
He said, “The collapse clearly indicates corruption in the statue’s construction. Those in power today are engaged in corruption even in projects like the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue. We must ensure they are not allowed to govern the state.”
Pawar welcomed Ghatge to the part fold and expressed confidence in his success in the upcoming state elections.