X: @the_news_21
Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, has responded to former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan’s departure from the Congress party, suggesting that several leaders are feeling “suffocated” within the grand old party. Fadnavis, a prominent leader of the BJP, also hinted at the possibility of more defections from the Congress and other opposition parties.
In a media statement, Fadnavis stated, “Several tall leaders of other parties want to join the BJP. Especially, several Congress leaders are in touch with us because of the behavior 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 hai kya (wait and watch what happens next).”
Ashok Chavan’s departure marks the third senior leader to exit the Congress in Maharashtra, following former South Mumbai MP Milind Deora and former MLA Baba Siddique.
In an announcement made on Monday, February 12, 2024, Chavan confirmed his resignation as the Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the 85-Bhokar Assembly Constituency, tendering his resignation to Assembly Speaker Rahulji Narvekar.
Chavan has had a long-standing political career, serving as a Lok Sabha MP from 1987 to 1989 and later being re-elected to the lower house in May 2014. Additionally, he served in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for three terms, starting in 1999 until May 2014.
During his tenure, Chavan also held the position of Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 2008 to 2010. However, he faced controversy when corruption allegations arose concerning the Adarsh Housing Society scam, leading to his resignation from the chief ministerial post on November 9, 2010, at the behest of the Congress party.
As political dynamics continue to evolve in Maharashtra, Fadnavis’s remarks underscore the fluidity of party affiliations and the potential for significant shifts in the state’s political landscape.
