Former Maharashtra minister Prashant Hiray and former Nashik MLC Apoorva Hiray on Friday quit the Bharatiya Janata Party to join the Nationalist Congress Party again, PTI reported. They had quit the Nationalist Congress Party to join the BJP six years ago.
The two leaders said they were disenchanted with the BJP administration in the state. “Nothing happened in Nashik after the 2014 polls,” Prashant Hiray said. “That is why we are returning to the NCP to serve the people.”
They were re-inducted into the Nationalist Congress Party in the presence of party president Sharad Pawar and their supporters. Maharashtra NCP chief Jayant Patil and senior party leader Chhagan Bhujbal were also present.
Apoorva Hiray told CNN-News18 that Nashik, where the Hiray family yields significant influence, is far “away from development”. “Four generations [of our family] have worked with Sharad Pawar,” Apoorva Hiray said. “So this is gharwapasi [return to home] for us. Why have we returned? Because we got tired of the gimmicks. When we entered the BJP, we were told that Nashik will get developed. We will get industries, employment opportunities. But over the years, we have got nothing. The chief minister [Devendra Fadnavis] had announced that he would adopt Nashik. But we are still away from development.”
Unidentified officials told the news channel that the NCP had promised Apoorva Hiray the party’s ticket to contest the state Legislative Assembly elections.
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