In Western Maharashtra, Samarjeetsinh Ghatge, a member of a royal family from Kolhapur, rejoined the BJP on Wednesday (April 8, 2026), quitting Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP).
“Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is like a brother to me. I joined the BJP with the aim to strengthen the party in western Maharashtra, with a focus on the cooperative sector,” said Mr. Ghatge during the induction ceremony held in Mumbai in the presence of the BJP state president Ravindra Chavan and Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil.
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Mr/ Ghatge joined NCP-SP during the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections held in November 2024 after quitting the BJP over not getting nominated as a BJP candidate from Kagal constituency in Kolhapur district. This would be the second stint with the BJP. While speaking on leaving NCP-SP, he said, “Before joining the BJP, I explained my position to Sharad Pawar. I made the decision to quit in November 2025, and here we are. Now, we are in the BJP and will do as the party says.”
Despite Mr. Ghatge’s closeness with Devendra Fadnavis, he was not nominated as the BJP candidate for the seat during the seat-sharing talks, as the seat went to the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, an alliance partner of Mahayuti. Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif fought and won against Samarjeetsinh Ghatge, who contested on the NCP-SP ticket.
