India, Dec. 27 -- Former Pune mayor and Nationalist Congress Party (SP) city president Prashant Jagtap formally joined the Congress on Friday in the presence of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Harshvardhan Sapkal. Several office-bearers and workers from the NCP (SP) in Pune joined the Congress along with Jagtap.

The decision came after the two factions of the NCP decided to fight the Pune civic elections together. Jagtap, who is close to NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar, submitted his resignation soon after the decision was made public.

Sources said despite receiving invitations from multiple political parties, Jagtap chose to join the Congress, a move being seen as politically significant in the backdrop of the upc...