Pune: Two days after resigning from NCP (SP), former Pune mayor Prashant Jagtap on Friday joined Congress in Mumbai in the presence of party’s state unit chief Harshvardhan Sapkal and other senior members, including Vijay Wadettiwar and Mohan Joshi.Speaking to media persons after his induction, Jagtap refused to comment on his exit from NCP (SP) but said he joined Congress to fight against BJP. He also said he wanted to work on the principles of Chhatrapati Shahu, Mahatma Phule and Babasaheb Ambedkar.
“Congress has a glorious history of 135 years. The party has led the country for many years. For Pune city, it has implemented many development projects. It is marching ahead on progressive thoughts,” he said, adding he would take up the responsibility given by the party high command.Jagtap said before joining Congress, he received a call from Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, who offered him to join his party. “In the last two days, I received calls from many leaders. I am overwhelmed as they offered me an entry to their parties. But I decided to join Congress after spending more than 26 years with NCP,” he said. Sources said Jagtap also received a call from Shiv Sena president and deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde.Jagtap quit NCP(SP) over differences of opinion about the party joining hands with deputy CM Ajit Pawar-led NCP for civic polls. Jagtap held a meeting with NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule to discuss the issue and later announced that he would make a decision in two days. He said he was resigning from the primary membership of the party and the post of city president. Jagtap said he decided to join Congress after consulting with his supporters and residents of his former ward. His supporters too joined Congress along with him at a function held in Mumbai on Friday. It is likely that Congress will fight the PMC poll alone though a final decision is yet to be made, sources said.
