Congress Loses Senior Leader Ashok Chavan To BJP In A Major Political Shift In Maharashtra

New Delhi: In a significant blow to the Congress party in Maharashtra, senior leader and former state Chief Minister Ashok Chavan joined Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday. Chavan joined the party in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other BJP leaders.

Chavan's joined the BJP just a day after he resigned from the grand old party on Monday. Earlier today, former Maharashtra CM has announced his decision to join the BJP calling it a "new beginning" in his political career.

Ashok Chavan said, "Today it's a new beginning of my political career. I am formally joining the BJP in their office today. I am hopeful that we will work for the constructive development of Maharashtra."

#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

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. Chavan, who represents Bhokar, Nanded, as an MLA, was reported to have severe differences with state party chief Nana Patole.