New Delhi:
Ahead of the forthcoming Assembly Elections in Maharashtra, several lawmakers of Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) jumped ship to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday. For beleaguered MLAs of the opposition parties, one former Minister, a state-level woman leader and other activists have joined the ruling party.
Seven-time Congress legislator Kalidas Kolambkar (Wadala in south Mumbai), NCP's Sandeep Naik (Airoli), Vaibhav Pichad (Akole) and Shivendra Raje Bhosale (Satara), who quit their parties and legislative seats, joined the BJP in presence of Maharashtra president Chandrakant Patil and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Mumbai: Former NCP leaders Shivendra Raje Bhosale, Sandeep Naik & Chitra Wagh join Bharatiya Janta Party in presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. pic.twitter.com/OqSZM9g4rG
— ANI (@ANI) July 31, 2019
Mumbai BJP chief MP Lodha, cabinet ministers and senior party leaders were also present at the function to welcome newcomers.
Besides, NCP founder and former state minister Madhukar Pichad, and state NCP's women's wing president Chitra Wagh also joined the BJP to a huge round of applause.
Patil assured that all the new entrants would be given suitable roles befitting their stature in the party as he hinted at more walkovers from the Opposition to the BJP before the Assembly elections to be held in October.
The crossover of these opposition leaders took place a day before Fadnavis embarks on his state-wide 'Mahajanadesh Yatra' to kickstart the poll campaign.