Another Pawar kin joins the fray: BJP MLA's wife joins Ajit's faction, to contest Osmanabad seat

Mumbai: BJP MLA Rana Jagjitsinh Patil's wife Archana Patil on Thursday joined the Nationalist Congress Party led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and will be fielded from Osmanabad Lok Sabha seat.

Patil would face Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar of the Uddhav led Sena, who is a sitting MP from the seat. Before that, he had been the Osmanabad MLA.

Archana Patil is the wife of Rana Jagjitsinha Patil, who is currently the BJP MLA from Tuljapur and a former minister.

Rana Jagjitsinha Patil is the son of veteran politician Dr Padamsinh Patil, who had been an MLA multiple times from Congress and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP and had held important portfolios. He was also elected to the Lok Sabha in 2009.

The induction of Archana Patil into NCP and candidature from Osmanabad was announced by state NCP President Sunil Tatkare on Thursday.

Over the past few days, Ajit Pawar held extensive deliberations with Shiv Sena’s Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and BJP’s Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis before the candidature of Archana Patil was announced.

"I thank every leader of Maha Yuti. My victory is sure…Without their support, my candidature was not possible,” Archana Patil said.

Incidentally, OmRaje Nimbalkar and Rana Jagjitsinha Patil are cousins.

Archana is the daughter-in-law of NCP veteran Padamsinh Patil, who is the elder brother of Sunetra Pawar. Sunetra Pawar is Deputy CM Pawar's wife and has been fielded against sister-in-law and sitting MP Supriya Sule in Baramati.

(With PTI inputs)