NCP suffers setback in Hingna as former ZP chairperson, sarpanchs, and councillors join BJP

Nagpur: The NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) suffered a major blow in the Hingna assembly constituency as former zilla parishad chairperson Ujjwala Bodhare, along with 16 sarpanchs, 6 municipal councillors, and 12 directors of Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMCs), switched allegiance to the BJP on Saturday.
The induction ceremony took place in the presence of BJP state president and Maharashtra revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, who personally welcomed the new entrants. District BJP president Sudhakar Kohale and local MLA Sameer Meghe were also present during the formal joining, which is expected to significantly bolster the BJP's prospects in Hingna and across Nagpur district ahead of the upcoming local self-govt elections.
Bawankule said that the entry of Bodhare, described as a committed and energetic leader of the Sharad Pawar faction, along with 18 sarpanchs, 90 gram panchayat members, and several cooperative and APMC office-bearers, marked a turning point for the party in the region. He asserted that this realignment would translate into a major electoral advantage for the BJP, recalling that the NCP garnered notable support in the previous assembly elections through its candidate Ramesh Bang.
With the latest political shift, Bawankule expressed confidence that the BJP would consolidate its vote share, strengthening its position in Hingna and ensuring a decisive victory in the forthcoming elections. He emphasised that the influx of grassroots leaders would further energise the party's organisational structure at the village and municipal levels.
Several senior BJP leaders, including former MLA Raju Parwe, state BJP vice-president Manohar Kumbhare, district general secretary Anil Nidan, and leaders Adarsh Patle, Bipin Girde, Vivek Indurkar, Vinayak Kharabe, Ashwini Jichkar, Bhaskar Khade, and Amit Kadam, were present to witness the large-scale political realignment.