Ashok Chavan joins BJP after quitting Congress

MUMBAI: Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan joined the Bharatiya Janata Party at the party’s office in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, party leader Ashish Shelar and Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule were also present at the occasion.

Former Congress MLC Amar Rajurkar, who resigned from the party on Monday, also joined the BJP today.

Asserting to make a new change in his 38-year political career Chavan said, “Today, I am making a new change in my 38 years of politics by joining BJP. To join the country’s development journey under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi.”

#WATCH | Former Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan joins the BJP at the party's office in Mumbai. He recently quit Congress.

Former Congress MLC Amar Rajurkar also joined the BJP. pic.twitter.com/2833wY76am

— ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2024

“I will ensure that the BJP gets the full benefit of my experience and understanding in politics. After leaving Congress, some people criticized me, some people also supported me, some people also made different comments, but I would like to say once that I will take all these things together and move forward positively. Today I have given my form to become BJP member which has been accepted by Bawankule ji,” he added.

“Maharashtra politics has its own color, in which we also respect our opponents. When Devendra Fadnavis was the leader of the opposition and we were in power, we used to cooperate with each other positively and even today we do positive work to take the state and the country forward,”

The former CM said that he is ready to accept any post the party gives adding that he has not demanded anything.

“I will accept whatever role the party gives me. I have not made any demand for any role or post from the party. I will accept whatever the party has decided for me,” Chavan said.

#WATCH | After quitting Congress, former Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan says "Today around 12-12:30, I am going to start a new journey of my political career, I am going to join BJP…" pic.twitter.com/hpSZDoQVWp

— ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2024

“The decision I have taken is my personal decision and I am just the beginning, so at the moment I am not saying much on this subject, I am ready to fulfill whatever responsibility will be given to me positively, that’s all I would like to say,” he added.

According to sources, Ashok Chavan is likely to be BJP’s Rajya Sabha candidate from Maharashtra putting Congress in a tight spot.

Ashok Chavan resgined from the primary membership of the Congress party on Monday.

Chavan submitted his resignation to Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee President Nana Patole.

“I have resigned from the Assembly membership as an MLA. I have given my resignation to the Speaker. I have resigned from the Congress Working Committee and the Congress primary membership,” Chavan told reporters after resigning from Congress on Monday.

Ashok Chavan was the Vice President and General Secretary of the Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress Committee from 1986 to 1995.
He served the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for three terms, starting in 1999 and ending in May 2014.

He served as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra State from December 8, 2008, to November 9, 2010. On November 9, 2010, the Congress Party asked him to resign from office over corruption allegations relating to the Adarsh Housing Society scam.

In the 2014 general elections, Chavan was elected from the Nanded constituency but lost the seat in 2019 Pratap Patil Chikhalikar of the BJP.

He is the third big name to desert the Congress ship in Maharashtra. First to go was former South Mumbai MP Milind Deora, followed by former MLA Baba Siddique. (ANI)