GG News Bureau
Mumbai, 13th Feb. Ashok Chavan, former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday after resigning from the Congress just a day ago.
A notable figure for the Congress in the politically significant state, Chavan received a warm welcome from Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankul upon his entry into the party.
Sources reveal that Chavan is slated to file nomination papers for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections tomorrow. It’s reported that the looming nomination deadline prompted his swift transition to the BJP.
In a shift from his earlier stance, Chavan, who had earlier suggested a delay in deciding his political future, announced this morning that he would embark on a new political journey with the BJP. His defection gives another blow to the Maharashtra Congress, already reeling from the recent exits of key leaders like Milind Deora and Baba Siddique to rival factions.
Sources within the Congress attribute Chavan’s decision to his differences with state party chief Nana Patole, particularly concerning the delayed seat-sharing arrangements within the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance. Mumbai Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam hinted at Chavan’s discontent with the working style of a Maharashtra Congress leader.
Reacting to Chavan’s move, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took a jab, invoking the term “washing machine” often used by the Congress to critique the BJP’s handling of criminal investigations against defected opposition leaders.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Congress chief Patole lamented the departure of leaders who had benefitted from the party and its ideology.
Chavan’s switch stresses the political turbulence in Maharashtra, with implications for both state and national politics as elections loom on the horizon.
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