DY Patil defection may affect ties as son still iffy about move

With elections round the corner, defections are touted to become quite a regular affair. Veteran educationist and former Tripura Governor DY Patil, who was a Congress loyalist, joining the Nationalist Congress Party would mark the first major defection this election season.

An announcement of Patil joining the NCP was made in Pune on Sunday and this is politically significant for the city of Kolhapur. There is a possibility DY Patil will be pitched as a Lok Sabha candidate from NCP ranks, since he enjoys a clout in Kolhapur and would be accepted by all and sundry.

Explaining the move, NCP spokesperson Ankush Kakade, said, "He was in touch with us and today he called me expressing his willingness to work for NCP. I invited him and completed the procedure and also handed over him the letter of him becoming a member of NCP."

NCP President Sharad Pawar, however, has openly praised sitting MP Dhananjay Mahadik for his participation in Parliament. So, some political observers are also considering this induction as an attempt to break the ice between Lok Sabha MP Dhananjay Mahadik and Satej — Patil and former minister in Prithviraj Chavan's cabinet.

The veteran's decision has left his son, a leader of Congress Party, in deep shock. His aides have said that he believes the decision to defect wasn't taken independently and that the NCP must have coerced him into campaigning for Mahadik.

Satej Patil and Dhananjay Mahadik were together earlier in Kolhapur politics.