by Tejas 

Pune, August 3, 2024:Harshavardhan Patil, an influential leader and four-time minister in the Maharashtra government, has faced a tumultuous period over the last ten years. After being out of power for a decade, Patil's political resurgence is crucial not only for his career but also to maintain his influence in Indapur, his assembly constituency.

For any major leader, a decade out of power is a significant period. Harshavardhan Patil is no exception. However, determined to rewrite his political fortunes, Patil is leaving no stone unturned to shift the momentum in his favour. At the time of the Lok Sabha elections, Harshavardhan Patil increased the heat in the Baramati constituency along with Vijay Shivtare of Purandar. However, he later agreed to cooperate with Ajit Pawar after talks with Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

At that time, it was reported that Patil got the assurance of an assembly election. However, current developments in state politics show a different picture. But this time, Patil is determined to undo all his past mistakes, as he seems to revert to his old tactics to regain the stature he once enjoyed in the early phase of his career.

In recent days, posters and banners supporting Harshavardhan Patil have appeared across Indapur taluka, promoting the creation of 'Indapur Taluka Vikas Aghadi' (ITVA), a socio-political organisation under whose banner Patil fought elections until he joined Congress in 2009.

Harshavardhan Patil independently won the Indapur legislative assembly in the 1995, 1999, and 2004 elections. After that, he switched to Congress, calculating political prospects, and won that election on Congress' ticket. However, in the 2014 election, he faced a defeat at the hands of Datta Bharane, who was said to be supported by Ajit Pawar from outside.

Seeing the same plan of Ajit Pawar in the 2019 election, Harshavardhan Patil aptly switched to the BJP before the elections, but his unfortune continued, and he lost that election too to Datta Bharne. But since then, Patil has had the support of the BJP leadership. Meanwhile, he also increased his power in the constituency. But seeing the current politics in the state, Patil also kept his second plan ready.

With backing from supporters and activists, Patil seems poised to revive the ITVA and contest the upcoming elections under its banner. Two days ago, activists inaugurated the first ITVA branch in Patil's Bavada village, directly in front of his house. On Sunday, the same activists plan to meet at Palasadeo and have decided to establish ITVA branches in 100 villages across the taluka.

This move by Patil's supporters has unsettled the sitting MLA from the NCP-Ajit Pawar faction, which is part of the ruling Mahayuti coalition in the state. Reports suggest that Mahayuti leaders have agreed to retain seats with the sitting MLAs who won in the last elections. Following this logic, the NCP-Ajit Pawar group currently claims the Indapur seat.

Though Harshavardhan Patil has so far dismissed any possibility of shifting his allegiance to the BJP, However, his daughter, Ankita Patil, has added to the speculation by emphasising the importance of supporters and activists, hinting at a potential electoral contest.