Ashok Chavan, former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, resigned from the Congress party’s main membership on 12th of February. According to sources, Chavan may join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the future. He presented his resignation to the president of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, Mr Nana Patole. The ex-MPCC president held the position of Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha from 1987 to 1989, and he was subsequently re-elected to the lower house in May 2014. From 1986 to 1995, he served as both the Vice President and General Secretary of the Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress Committee.
The ex-Chief Minister held a seat in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for three consecutive terms, commencing in 1999 and concluding in May 2014. He was the Chief Minister of Maharashtra from December 8 2008 to November 9 2010. Congress Party asked him to resign on 9th November 2010 over corruption charges in relation to Adarsh Housing Society scam. In the 2014 general elections, Chavan secured victory in the Nanded constituency, yet relinquished the seat in 2019.
Chavan becomes the third prominent figure to depart from the Congress camp in Maharashtra. Preceding him were former South Mumbai MP Milind Deora, succeeded by former MLA Baba Siddique. Amar Rajurkar, an MLC from the Congress party and an associate of Chavan, has also tendered his resignation from the party.
In his resignation letter, he wrote, “I hereby submit my resignation from primary membership of the Indian National Congress Party with effect from noon on 12/02/2024″.
Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis made an ambiguous statement on Mr Chavan joining BJP. He said ,”Several tall leaders of other parties want to join BJP. Especially, several Congress leaders are in touch with us because of the behaviour of the senior leaders. They are feeling suffocated in their party…Who all are in our contact that will be revealed soon. Aage aage dekhiye hota hain kya.”
