Amidst a spate of resignations of its leaders and massive defection of its leaders to BJP and Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar will launch a statewide tour to arrest further defections. The first phase of his travel will take place between September 17 and 22 in which he will hold party rallies together with NCP's probable candidates from the respective seats, senior leaders and representatives of allies. Pawar's statewide tour coincides with NCP's Shivsurajya Yatra which is currently underway.

Party treasurer Hemant Takle confirmed Pawar's plan to extensively travel the state in the run up to the assembly election slated for October. ''Pawar will address rallies in Solapur, Osmanabad (September 17), Beed, Latur (September 18), Parbhani (September 19), Jalna, Aurangabad (September 20), Ahmednagar (September 21) and Satara (September 22). This is the first phase thereafter he will cover other districts too.'' 

Observers believe that this is Pawar's last ditch effort to save his party which has been obvious target for BJP and Shiv Sena to poach ahead of assembly election.  Pawar's close confidants and those who were present at the time of NCP's formation in June 1999 have deserted him as they predict bleak future for the party and also for them. NCP has lost its hold over western Maharashtra, the party's bastion since its formation.

On his part, Pawar had recently said he was not worried about people leaving his party. However, he had  accused BJP of misusing power and agencies to poach leaders from opposition ranks.

Already veterans including Dr Padmasinh Patil, Vijaysinh Mohite Patil, Madhukar Pichad have left NCP while former minister and state unit chief Bhaskar Jadhav, former minister Dilip Sopal, former Mumbai unit chief  Sachin Ahit and former legislator Pandurang Barora have joined Shiv Sena.

On the other hand, Dr Patil's son and former legislator Rana Jagatjeet Singh Patil, Pichad's son and former legislator Vaibhav Pichad, former legislator and Chhatrapati Shivaji descendent Shivendraraje  Bhosale, former minister Ganesh Naik, former MP Sanjeev Naik and former legislator Sandeep Naik have migrated to BJP.