In a significant political development, Bhagyashri Atram, daughter of Maharashtra state minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Dharmarao Baba Atram, officially joined the opposition NCP (Sharad Pawar) faction on Thursday. This move has stirred political speculation, as it marks the second high-profile defection to the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) in the last two weeks, following BJP’s Samarjeet Ghatge joining the party in Kolhapur’s Kagal.
Bhagyashri Atram’s entry into the NCP (SP) in Aheri, Gadchiroli district, has sparked rumors that she may contest against her father in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. The Atram family, a key political dynasty in the east Vidarbha region, has wielded considerable influence in Gadchiroli since 1990.
Reflecting on her decision, Bhagyashri recalled how Sharad Pawar played a crucial role in her father’s release from captivity after being kidnapped by Naxalites in 1991. “It was not right that he [her father] left Sharad Pawar’s side to join the opposing faction after the split. This is my way of expressing gratitude,” she said during the joining ceremony.
Her comments refer to the recent split within the NCP, which saw the party divide into two factions—one led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and another by Sharad Pawar.
Bhagyashri Atram’s joining ceremony took place during the Shiv Swarajya Yatra, attended by key NCP (SP) leaders, including state president Jayant Patil and Anil Deshmukh. Welcoming her into the party fold, Patil expressed his delight. “We are pleased to have Bhagyashri and her supporters join our party. We want to assure you that even though your father has distanced himself, Pawar saheb will always remain supportive,” he remarked.
With the Atram family’s influence and Bhagyashri’s defection to the opposition faction, the upcoming elections in the Aheri constituency are poised to become a politically charged battle, drawing considerable attention across Maharashtra.