Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray and Digvijaya Singh to participate in NCP's 'Yuva Sangharsh Yatra' in Nagpur

File Photo/PTI

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, and Congress leader Digvijaya Singh are scheduled to address a public meeting marking the conclusion of the Nationalist Congress Party's 'Yuva Sangharsh Yatra' in Nagpur on December 12, announced former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh on Wednesday.

The public event, set to take place at the Zero Mile area in Nagpur, will witness the participation of the three prominent leaders, according to Deshmukh, who belongs to the Nationalist Congress Party's Sharad Pawar faction.

The 'Yuva Sangharsh Yatra,' led by Nationalist Congress Party MLA Rohit Pawar, commenced on October 24 from Pune, aiming to highlight various issues faced by the youth in Maharashtra. The foot march, covering over 800 km, will culminate in Nagpur during the Winter Session of the state legislature.

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While addressing the media, Deshmukh stated that leaders from the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising Nationalist Congress Party, Sena (UBT), and Congress, will also be invited to the public meeting. Sharad Pawar will turn 83 on the same day.

Deshmukh highlighted that the Nationalist Congress Party will raise concerns about pending compensation for farmers affected by unseasonal rains and advocate for a higher minimum support price (MSP) for cotton and soybean. A party delegation is set to meet government authorities with these demands.

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Discussing the recent Nationalist Congress Party split, Deshmukh expressed confidence that many MLAs with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar would return to the Sharad Pawar group soon. The Nationalist Congress Party had experienced a split in July, with Ajit Pawar and eight senior leaders aligning with the BJP and Shiv Sena.

Deshmukh concluded by expressing optimism about the MVA winning future assembly elections, asserting that the coalition would return to power in the state. The MVA government, led by Thackeray, had collapsed last year after a rebellion by Eknath Shinde, who later joined hands with the BJP to become the Chief Minister. (With inputs from PTI and agencies)