#ashokchavan

Taking a swipe at the BJP-led NDA government in the state after former chief minister and Congress leader Ashok Chavan resigned from the party, Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray has questioned whether the ruling party was suffering from ‘low self-confidence’ ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in the state.

Expanding on his claim about the ruling NDA in the state, the former CM questioned why it felt the need to poach leaders from the Opposition camp unless it was nervous and feared defeat in the upcoming general elections.

While Chavan resigned as an MLA and also announced his exit from the Congress, dealing a further blow to the INDIA bloc and the Opposition unity, he stopped short of opening up on his future political course.

However, the Sena (UBT) Supremo claimed that the former CM could be linking his lot with the BJP.

Addressing a rally at Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad) on Monday, Uddhav went all guns blazing at the BJP, saying it wouldn’t have felt the need to split the Opposition combine–Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)–and lure leaders away to its fold if it had worked for the people during its decade-long rule at the Centre.

“PM Narendra Modi recently said in Parliament that the BJP will secure a thumping majority (in the Lok Sabha elections). If so, then why lure leaders away from Opposition parties? If they are so confident of going ‘400-paar’ in the upcoming elections, why poach leaders from the Opposition camp? They took Nitish Kumar in Bihar and Ashok Chavan, Ajit Pawar, and (CM Eknath) Shinde here.

Former Maharashtra chief minister  Ashok Chavan after quitting the Congress has now joined the Bharatiya Janata Party . Later speaking to ANI Chavan said, “Today it’s a new beginning of my political career. I am formally joining the BJP in their office today…I am hopeful that we will work for the constructive development of Maharashtra.”

Chavan (65) was inducted into the BJP at the party office in Mumbai in the presence of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Mumbai party unit head Ashish Shelar and cabinet minister Girish Mahajan.

Though Chavan denied the claim, it is being said that the mention of Adarsh Building scam in the white paper tabled in the Parliament by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman last week might have been a potential factor in his exit.

On  Ashok Chavan’s BJP switch, Shiv Sena (UBT)  Rajya Sabha MP, Priyanka Chaturvedi tweeted on X ,

Reacting Chavan move, former Congress Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Nirupam claimed that Chavan was upset with the working style of a leader from Maharashtra.

‘Ashok Chavan was definitely an asset for the party. Some are calling him a liability, some are holding ED responsible, all this is a hasty reaction. He was basically very upset with the working style of a leader from Maharashtra,’ Nirupam said in a post on ‘X’.

The former president of the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee also claimed that had his complaints been addressed by the party he would not have resigned.

‘He (Chavan) had given this information to the top leadership from time to time. Had their complaints been taken seriously, this situation would not have happened,’ Nirupam added.

Heaping praises on the former Chief Minister, Nirupam said, “Ashok Chavan is resourceful, a skilled organiser, has a firm grasp on the ground and is a serious leader. When Bharat Jodo Yatra was in Nanded for five days last year, the entire leadership had seen his potential firsthand.”

“His leaving Congress is a big loss for us. No one will be able to compensate for it. The responsibility of taking care of them was ours alone,” he added.

Ashok Chavan, earlier , submitted his resignation to Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Nana Patole. Also, in the letter, Chavan mentioned his designation as a former MLA.

The former Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president also served as MP of Lok Sabha from 1987 to 1989 and was re-elected to the lower house in May 2014.

A day after he quit the Congress, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan is set to join the BJP later today. "Today around 12-12:30, I am going to start a new journey of my political career, I am going to join BJP," Mr Chavan told news agency ANI.

He had yesterday told the media that he will take a decision on his next step in a couple of days. Deputy Chief Minister and the state's top BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, it is learnt, will welcome Mr Chavan into the party. Mr Chavan's aide Amar Rajurkar, who resigned as MLC with him, will also join the BJP today.

Sources have said the former Chief Minister may be offered a Rajya Sabha seat. That would also explain his decision to join the BJP a day after he resigned from the Congress and the Assembly: time for filing nomination for the Rajya Sabha polls is running out.

"I have resigned from the Assembly membership as an MLA. I have given my resignation to the Speaker. I have resigned from the Congress Working Committee and the Congress primary membership. I have not decided to join any party. I will clear my stand on joining a party after two days," Mr Chavan had told reporters yesterday.

Mr Chavan's exit is yet another blow to Maharashtra Congress months ahead of state polls and the general election. Earlier, key Congress leader, Milind Deora, quit the party and joined the Eknath Shinde faction of Shiv Sena. Baba Siddique too left and moved to the Ajit Pawar-led NCP.

According to Congress sources, Mr Chavan's differences with state party chief Nana Patole played a key role in his decision. Speaking to the media yesterday, he had suggested that he was upset over the delay in finalising seat-sharing within the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance with just months left for the polls.

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

Congress leaders have taken swipes at Mr Chavan following his decision. Senior party leader Jairam Ramesh took a "washing machine" jab -- washing machine is an oft-repeated reference the Congress uses to accuse the BJP of stalling criminal investigations against Opposition leaders who switch to their side.

"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. But to those who are vulnerable THAT Washing Machine will always prove more attractive than ideological commitment or personal loyalties," Mr Ramesh said. "These betrayers don't realise that their exit opens up vast new opportunities to those whose growth they have always stunted," he added.

Maharashtra Congress chief Patole said it is "unfortunate that leaders who have got everything are leaving the Congress party and ideology".

The son of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Shankarrao Chavan, Ashok Chavan wields significant influence in Nanded region. His exit comes at a time when the Maha Vikas Aghadi -- comprising the Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena, the Sharad Pawar camp of NCP and the Congress -- faces two tall poll challenges.

Ashok Chavan has had an eventful political journey so far. Starting out as a student leader during his college days, he went on to hold key posts in the Congress, including Maharashtra Congress chief and a member of the Congress Working Committee. He has served as an MP from Nanded on two occasions and been a member of both Houses of the state legislature.

Minutes after joining the BJP after a 38-year-stint in the Congress, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan made an epic faux pas by mistakenly referred to Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar as "Mumbai Congress President".

The remark, clearly a slip of the tongue, left the senior leader red-faced and drew a round of laughter from BJP supporters who had gathered to welcome him into the party fold. Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was seen correcting him before laughing out aloud.

Apologising for the error, Mr Chavan said, "I have just joined (the BJP). Hence, the mistake. I am starting a new journey by joining the BJP after 38 years in the Congress."

The heavyweight leader from the Nanded region said he has always been a part of "positive politics". "The Prime Minister has taken a pledge for 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'. Sometimes, I was accused of not opposing him. But I have always done positive politics," he said.

The former Congress leader said he had set no terms for joining the BJP. "I will do what the party tells me to. I have asked for nothing. Nobody asked me to leave. This is my decision," he said.

Mr Chavan yesterday resigned from the Congress and as a party MLA. His aide Amar Rajurkar, who resigned as MLC yesterday, also joined the BJP today. The former Chief Minister said he has not asked anyone to switch from the Congress to the BJP.

Mr Chavan is expected to file his nomination for the Rajya Sabha polls tomorrow. In fact, it is the deadline to file nomination for the election to the Upper House that expedited his BJP entry. Earlier, he had told the media that he would take a decision on joining any party after a couple of days.

He was invited into the party by Mr Fadnavis, state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar, among others.

Addressing the media, Mr Fadnavis said any decision on Mr Chavan filing nomination for the Rajya Sabha polls will be taken by the central leadership of the party. He also said that the party knows how to utilise the senior leader.

The son of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Shankarrao Chavan, Ashok Chavan wields significant influence in Nanded region. His exit comes at a time when the Maha Vikas Aghadi -- comprising the Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena, the Sharad Pawar camp of NCP and the Congress -- faces two tall poll challenges.

Mr Chavan has held key roles in the Congress, including Maharashtra Congress chief and a member of the Congress Working Committee. He has served as an MP from Nanded on two occasions and been a member of both Houses of the state legislature.

After serving as state minister, he was chosen for the Chief Minister post after Vilasrao Deshmukh stepped down in the aftermath of the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai. The Congress retained him on the top post after the 2009 state polls. The stint was, however, short as Mr Chavan was forced to step down amid corruption allegations related to the Adarsh Housing Society scam.

Responding to a question on the corruption allegations, he said, "The court has ruled in our favour."

Mr Chavan said the decision to quit the Congress was not an easy one. "I did not take this decision in a day. I have taken this decision for the people of my district. It is true that the Congress gave me a lot. But I have also served it well," he said.

Congress leaders had earlier responded sharply to Mr Chavan's exit.

Senior party leader Jairam Ramesh took a "washing machine" jab -- washing machine is an oft-repeated reference the Congress uses to accuse the BJP of stalling criminal investigations against Opposition leaders who switch to their side.

"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. But to those who are vulnerable THAT Washing Machine will always prove more attractive than ideological commitment or personal loyalties," Mr Ramesh said.

In a setback to Congress ahead of Lok Sabha elections, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan  quit the Congress, amid speculation that he is veering towards BJP.

In a letter to state Congress president Nana Patole, Chavan (65) said he was quitting the grand old party. He also submitted his resignation as an MLA to assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar.

Chavan’s exit from Congress comes days after senior Maharashtra Congress leaders Baba Siddique and Milind Deora quit the party.

In a big blow to the Congress in Maharashtra months ahead of the general election and state polls, former chief minister and former MP Ashok Chavan resigned from the party's primary membership amid reports that he was in talks with the BJP. The senior leader may get a ticket to the Rajya Sabha, according to sources.

Mr Chavan, who represents Bhokar in the Assembly, met Speaker Rahul Narvekar and handed in his resignation. If he joins the BJP, it will be the second big switchover in Maharashtra after Congress leader Milind Deora quit the party last month and joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

Earlier, BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had been asked if Mr Chavan is joining the party. "I heard about Ashok Chavan from media. But only thing I can say now is that several good leaders from Congress are in touch of BJP. Those leaders who are connected with the masses are feeling suffocated in Congress. I am confident that some big faces will join Congress," he had then said.

According to Congress sources, Mr Chavan's differences with state party chief Nana Patole on selection of candidates may have played a major role in his decision to switch sides.

Son of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Shankarrao Chavan, Ashok Chavan wields significant influence in the Nanded region and this switch may hurt the Congress in the upcoming polls. This also plays out against the backdrop of the tall poll challenge facing the Maha Vikas Aghadi -- comprising the Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena, the Sharad Pawar camp of NCP and the Congress.

Ashok Chavan has had an eventful political journey so far. Starting out as a student leader during his college days, he went on to hold key posts in the Congress, including Maharashtra Congress chief and a member of the Congress Working Committee. He has served as an MP from Nanded on two occasions and been a member of both Houses of the state legislature.

After serving as state minister, he was chosen for the Chief Minister post after Vilasrao Deshmukh stepped down in the aftermath of the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai. The Congress retained him on the top post after the 2009 state polls. The stint was, however, short as Mr Chavan was forced to step down amid corruption allegations related to the Adarsh Housing Society scam.

Responding to Mr Chavan's decision, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took a "washing machine" jab -- washing machine is an oft-repeated reference the Congress uses to accuse the BJP of stalling criminal investigations against Opposition leaders who switch to their side.