Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan announced his decision to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday, aiming to contribute to the “constructive development of Maharashtra.” Describing it as a “new beginning” in his political journey, Chavan expressed optimism about collaborating with the BJP for the state’s progress. He stated, “Today marks a new chapter in my political career. I am formally joining the BJP at their office today. I am confident that together, we will work towards the positive growth of Maharashtra.” Chavan disclosed that he would be joining the BJP in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, party leader Ashish Shelar, and Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule. When questioned about the possibility of other MLAs and Congress legislators following suit, Chavan refrained from commenting, citing lack of awareness. Sources suggest that Ashok Chavan is likely to be nominated as the BJP’s Rajya Sabha candidate from Maharashtra’s Nanded constituency, placing the Congress party in a challenging position. Chavan’s resignation from the primary membership of the Congress party was submitted to Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee President Nana Patole on Monday. Reflecting on his political journey, Chavan served as the Vice President and General Secretary of the Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress Committee from 1986 to 1995. He held office in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for three terms, beginning in 1999 and concluding in May 2014. Additionally, he served as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra from December 8, 2008, to November 9, 2010, until resigning over corruption allegations linked to the Adarsh Housing Society scam. Although elected from the Nanded constituency in the 2014 general elections, Chavan lost the seat to Pratap Patil Chikhalikar of the BJP in 2019. Chavan’s departure from the Congress marks the third prominent exit from the party in Maharashtra, following former South Mumbai MP Milind Deora and former MLA Baba Siddique. His decision is speculated to be driven by significant differences with state party chief Nana Patole.
