Former Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan joins BJP after quitting Congress

Mumbai: Ashok Chavan, the former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, has joined the BJP just a day after resigning from the Congress.

A prominent face for the Congress in the politically-significant state, Chavan was welcomed into the BJP by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and state party chief Chandrashekhar Bawankul.

Sources indicate that Chavan is set to file nomination papers for the upcoming Rajya Sabha election tomorrow, and the nomination deadline was a key factor in his swift transition to the BJP, reported NDTV.

Chavan, who had previously stated that he would decide on his political future in the next couple of days, announced this morning that he would be embarking on a new political journey with the BJP.

This move deals another blow to the Maharashtra Congress, coming just months before state polls and the general election. Earlier, key Congress leaders such as Milind Deora and Baba Siddique also left the party, joining different factions.

Sources within the Congress suggest that Chavan's differences with state party chief Nana Patole played a significant role in his decision. Chavan expressed dissatisfaction with the delay in finalising seat-sharing within the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, with only months left for the polls.

Mumbai Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam stated that Chavan was upset over the working style of a Congress leader in Maharashtra, although he did not name anyone specifically. "He (Chavan) had approached the top leadership. Had his complaint been taken seriously, this situation would not have happened," said Nirupam.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took a jab at Chavan, using the metaphor of a "washing machine," a term often employed by the Congress to accuse the BJP of stalling criminal investigations against opposition leaders who switch sides. "When friends and colleagues leave a political party that has given them much -- perhaps much more they deserved -- it is always a matter of anguish," commented Ramesh.

Maharashtra Congress chief Patole expressed disappointment, stating, "It is unfortunate that leaders who have got everything are leaving the Congress party and ideology."