Following speculation that BJP Airoli MLA Ganesh Naik may join the Nationalist Congress Party-SP (NCP-Sharad Pawar), the Navi Mumbai unit of NCP (SP) passed a resolution opposing the practice of offering election tickets to newcomers just before elections.
They clarified that while they welcome anyone joining the party, they strongly oppose awarding tickets immediately after a new member joins.
Chandrakant Patil, President of the Navi Mumbai NCP (SP) unit, stated that if tickets are given to such newcomers, he would refuse to work for the party during the election.
It was reported that Naik met with senior NCP (SP) leaders on Friday to discuss the possibility of joining the party. He is also expected to meet with former corporators and party workers today to make a final decision.
Meanwhile, Sandeep Naik, president of BJP Navi Mumbai, is also vying for the Belapur assembly seat ticket and has been actively campaigning for some time. The current Belapur MLA, Manda Mhatre, who has won two consecutive terms, remains confident of securing the ticket for a third term.
Earlier, the Shiv Sena (Shinde) deputy chief of Navi Mumbai had hinted at joining NCP (SP) if he is not offered a ticket for the Belapur constituency.
Vaibhaw Gaikwad, a former NCP (SP) corporator from Vashi, stated that the final decision on the matter would be made by the party. However, he emphasised that those who have been consistently working for the party should be prioritised.