Mumbai, May 28 :     Rebel Shiv Sena leader and former minister in the Sena-BJP Cabinet in Maharashtra Ganesh Naik has announced an independent party called Bharat Vikas Party here today. Naik has also expressed his loyalty to expelled Congress leader Sharad Pawar. He had attended the AICC convention in Panchmarhi last year on Pawar?s invitation. Naik, who was the forest and environment minister in the Manohar Joshi Cabinet was sacked after he revolted against Sena chief Bal Thackeray. Naik has been unable to defect since his sacking since he did not have the requisite numbers. He was not expelled from the Sena either. He was later joined by two junior Sena ministers, Suresh Navale and Gulabrao Gawande, who were also sacked for anti-party activities. Naik said he had applied to the Election Commission on Wednesday to register his new party. He said he would fight the Sena-BJP in the state along with the RPI, Samajwadi Party and Pawar?s Nationalist Congress. The exodus from the Congress to the Nationalist Congress continued today, with former MP Vasant Pawar resigning from the Congress to join Sharad Pawar?s party. The state Congress dismissed Pawar?s launching of a new party as a ?non-issue? and accused him of colluding with the BJP to raise the issue of Sonia Gandhi?s foreign origin. Vasant Pawar, a close associate of the leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Chhagan Bhujbal, said more Congress workers would join NCP during a rally of his supporters tomorrow. He claimed that 20 of the 34 zilla parishad members in the district were likely to join the new party. Lok Shakti general secretary Vijay Dubey and some key leaders in the state units have also joined the NCP, party general secretary Tariq Anwar said.