NAGPUR: Former Union minister Subodh Mohite on Friday joined Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in the presence of party chief Sharad Pawar, and said his next step was to work for “the well-being of Vidarbha farmers”.
Mohite had started his electoral politics journey with Shiv Sena when he was elected as member of Parliament from Ramtek in 1999.
He later moved on to Congress and then joined Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana.
When asked why he did not prefer to return to his previous parties, considering they too are part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra, Mohite said it was Pawar’s charisma which drew him to the NCP.
Speaking with TOI, Mohite said, “Everyone knows that (Sharad) Pawar is leader who the entire nation looks up to.
The experience, knowledge and acumen which Pawar possesses is not visible in anyone.
When it comes to debating on issues, nobody can speak like him.” Mohite says he has no electoral ambitions to nurse by joining NCP.
“My only role as of now is to strengthen the party in Vidarbha.
My focus will be on farmers and issues faced by them.
There are many problems which farmers are facing and resolutions have to be found from the ground level and that’s where I will be spending my time,” said Mohite.
The veteran politician is best known for wresting Ramtek Lok Sabha seat, which was for long known as a Congress bastion.
“When I contested the Lok Sabha polls in 1999, all MLAs in the constituency were from opposition parties.
Still I was able to win the seat for Shiv Sena.
It’s this ground level strategizing skill which I will bring to the NCP and strengthen it in Vidarbha,” he said.
He was Union minister for heavy industries in Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 2004.