Mangesh Amale, a prominent leader of the Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), has declared his intention to contest the Belapur Assembly seat as an independent candidate. Amale made the announcement during a meeting at Vishnudas Bhave Auditorium in Vashi, expressing his discontent with recent political developments within the NCP.

Amale voiced frustration over being sidelined despite his long-standing commitment to rebuilding the NCP in Navi Mumbai. "It will not work now that you demolish the house, we build it, and then hand over the house to you as soon as the order comes," he said, lamenting the party's decision to field Sandeep Naik, who recently joined from the BJP, while dedicated workers were overlooked.

Reflecting on his journey, Amale recalled how he and others pledged their support to Sharad Pawar in 2019, when the party faced a major setback due to several members joining other parties. "Ten of us met Pawar and assured him we would rebuild the party. We stayed organized and resilient during the party’s decline. Yet, even now, when I was asked to start preparations for the election, I was abruptly told to step back," he revealed.

Amale's grievances centered on the perceived injustice of loyal party workers being overlooked for election tickets in favour of individuals who had once weakened the party. "We built the house and handed over possession to those who had previously demolished it," he remarked, adding that his decision to run as an independent was made under significant pressure and was a response to what he saw as repeated sidelining of loyal members.

 The announcement comes amid a wave of political turbulence in Navi Mumbai, following recent upheavals involving key figures such as BJP district president Sandeep Naik and Shiv Sena deputy leader Vijay Nahata. Amale's decision to contest independently is expected to shake up the electoral dynamics in Belapur, particularly with a substantial number of voters from Junnar, Ambegaon, and Pune residing in Navi Mumbai, potentially impacting the NCP's prospects.

With Amale's independent candidacy, the NCP’s candidate Sandeep Naik now faces a significant challenge in retaining voter support in the Belapur Assembly constituency. As the election campaign intensifies, the political landscape in Navi Mumbai remains volatile, with further developments likely to unfold in the coming days.