Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 | Nine-time late Congress MP Manikrao Gavit's son Bharat joins Ajit Pawar's NCP

Mumbai: In a jolt to the Congress in North Maharashtra, veteran tribal leader Bharat Gavit on Sunday joined the Ajit Pawar-led NCP.

Gavit holds influence in the twin districts of Nandurbar and Dhule of North Maharashtra.

Gavit is son of late Manikrao Gavit, the ex-MP from Nandurbar, who had represented the seat from 1981-2009, a record nine times.

Manikrao Gavit was considered close to the Gandhi family.

The senior Gavit, who passed away on 17 September, 2022, aged 87, had served as a member of the 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th Lok Sabha. Gavit had served as Minister of State in the Congress-led UPA government under then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh - and handled portfolios like Home and Social Justice.

Gavit was appointed a Pro Tem Speaker of 15th Lok Sabha by then President Pratibha Patil.

Bharat Gavit joined the NCP in presence of Ajit Pawar, the Deputy Chief Minister and Raigad MP Sunil Tatkare, the state NCP President.

“I joined Ajit Pawar to create a bright future for my people in Navapur Assembly constituency, and will carry forward Manikrao Gavit’s rich legacy,” said Bharat Gavit.

Bharat Gavit wields significant influence in the Nandurbar region, his joining will boost the party’s tribal base in the state ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.

Currently, he serves as the Chairman of the Adivasi Cooperative Sugar Factory, Dokare Nawapur, is a member and former president of the Nandurbar Zilla Parishad and is serving as President of Ladki Bahin Yojana Nawapur Vidhan Sabha Kshetra Samiti.

Former Prime Ministers - Indira Gandhi and her son Rajiv Gandhi as well as the latter's wife and former Congress President Sonia Gandhi used to launch the Congress campaign in Maharashtra from the Nandurbar seat, which is reserved for Scheduled Tribes.

Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi had addressed separate rallies in Nandurbar.

Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.

Subscribe and follow DH on Whatsapp, X, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram to never miss out on anything.