Senior BJP leader Eknath Khadse quit the BJP on Wednesday, in what comes as a major jolt to the saffron party in Maharashtra. Khadse will join the NCP on Friday, Maharashtra minister and state NCP chief Jayant Patil said on Wednesday.
"He (Khadse) will join NCP at 2 pm on Friday...this will strengthen the NCP," Patil told reporters.
The former BJP leader told News18, "I have been pushed out of BJP. I am not unhappy with anyone except Devendra Fadnavis...I haven't been given any assurance. I will be entering the party alone. No MLAs or MPs are with me."
The BJP has also confirmed the development and said the party has received Khadse's resignation, as per India Today. BJP spokesperson Keshav Uphadhye has said, "Eknath Khadse was our leader. Till this morning he was in BJP. We were convincing him to stay. We wish him well for the future journey."
According to Hindustan Times, Khadse has been in talks with senior NCP leaders, to seek political rehabilitation.The newspaper quotes his close aides as saying that he is expected to get an MLC seat via the governor’s quota.
Khadse has been disgruntled with the saffron party ever since he was made to resign as a minister in the then BJP-led government in 2016 on allegations of corruption. He was subsequently denied a ticket in the 2019 Assembly elections and his daughter who was given a ticket from the seat that he represented also lost the polls, reports The Indian Express.
There were speculations in the last few days that Khadse may quit the BJP and join the Sharad Pawar-led party. But the BJP leadership over the past few days had been stating that Khadse would not quit the party.
According to news agency PTI, on Sunday, when some reporters claimed there were speculations that Khadse may take a 'political decision' on 22 October, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said there are talks every day of such kind of "muhurat"
Fadnavis on Sunday said, "Such kind of muhurat (auspicious time) is being talked about every day and I will not speak on it."
According to Indian Express, in the recent past, Khadse has accused Fadnavis of ruining his political career. He had accused the former Maharashtra chief minister of plotting against him, as he was a “strong contender to be the first OBC chief ministerial candidate” of BJP.
On Monday, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said Khadse was earlier the leader of the Opposition and played a huge role in building the BJP in the state. "One is bound to feel disturbed if his contributions and hard work are not taken note of. He may think why shouldn’t he shift to a party which appreciates his work,” Pawar said.
With inputs from PTI
October 21, 2020 at 02:48PM
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