In Western Maharashtra, Samarjeetsinh Ghatge, a member of the royal family of Kolhapur, on Wednesday (April 8, 2026) rejoined the BJP, leaving the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP).
“Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is like a brother to me. I joined the BJP with the aim of strengthening the party in western Maharashtra with a focus on the cooperative sector,” Mr Ghatge said during the induction ceremony held in Mumbai in the presence of BJP state president Ravindra Chavan and Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil.
Mr/ Ghatge joined the NCP-SP during the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections held in November 2024 after he quit the BJP as he was not nominated as the BJP candidate from Kagal constituency in Kolhapur district. This would be the second stint with the BJP. Talking about quitting NCP-SP, he said, “Before joining BJP, I explained my stand to Sharad Pawar. I decided to quit in November 2025 and here we are. Now we are in BJP and we will do whatever the party says.”
Published – 09 Apr 2026 05:40 IST
