#Ashok Chavan joins BJP

[mhlivenews]

Congress: आज हजेरीपरेड, मुंबई काँग्रेसमध्ये हालचालींना वेग, बैठकीकडे साऱ्यांचं लक्ष

मुंबई: माजी मुख्यमंत्री अशोक चव्हाण यांनी भाजपमध्ये प्रवेश केल्यानंतर प्रदेश काँग्रेसमधील अंतर्गत हालचालींना वेग आला आहे. आगामी राज्यसभा निवडणुकीच्या पार्श्वभूमीवर, आता आमदार एकसंघ राहण्यासाठी पक्षातर्फे प्रयत्न केले जाणार आहेत. त्यासाठी आज, बुधवारी मुंबईत आमदारांची तातडीची बैठक बोलावण्यात आली असून या बैठकीत कोण कोण आमदार हजर राहतात, याकडे महाराष्ट्राचे लक्ष लागले आहे. दरम्यान, मंगळवारी दिवसभर…

[internationalnewz]

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister, Ashok Chavan, Joins BJP After Parting Ways with Congress

In a significant political development, Ashok Chavan, the former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, has officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today, just a day after announcing his resignation from the Congress. A prominent figure for the Congress in the politically crucial state, Chavan was welcomed into the BJP fold by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the state party chief, Chandrashekhar Bawankul.

Sources indicate that Mr. Chavan is set to file nomination papers for the upcoming Rajya Sabha election tomorrow. The urgency of the nomination deadline played a pivotal role in his swift transition from the Congress to the BJP, as per the sources.

While addressing the media yesterday, Chavan had initially hinted at taking a few days to decide on his political future. However, this morning, he surprised many by announcing his immediate entry into a new political journey with the BJP.

The departure of Ashok Chavan marks another setback for the Maharashtra Congress, coming just months ahead of state polls and the general election. Earlier, prominent Congress leader Milind Deora left the party to join the Eknath Shinde faction of Shiv Sena, and Baba Siddique shifted allegiance to the Ajit Pawar-led NCP.

Congress insiders suggest that Chavan’s decision was influenced by his differences with state party chief Nana Patole. Yesterday, he expressed dissatisfaction with the delayed finalization of seat-sharing within the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, raising concerns just months before the polls.

Sanjay Nirupam, a leader of Mumbai Congress, stated that Chavan was upset with the working style of a Congress leader in Maharashtra, without naming anyone specific. Nirupam remarked that Chavan had approached the top leadership, implying that his concerns were not adequately addressed, leading to the current situation.

In response to Chavan’s departure, Congress leaders have not held back from criticizing him. Senior party leader Jairam Ramesh took a veiled swipe, using the metaphor of a “washing machine” — a term often employed by Congress to accuse the BJP of impeding criminal investigations against opposition leaders who switch sides.

Ramesh expressed anguish over the departure of colleagues from the party, highlighting the allure of certain benefits over ideological commitment or personal loyalties. Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole lamented the situation, emphasizing the unfortunate departure of leaders who have received everything from the Congress party and its ideology.

[novumtimes]

Bhaskarrao Khatgaonkar BJP MP Ashok Chavan brother-in-law returns to Congress

In a blow to former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, his brother-in-law and BJP leader Bhaskarrao Patil Khatgaonkar joined the Congress on Friday ahead of the Maharashtra elections. Recently, the Congress MP from Nanded, Vasant Chavan, passed away, leaving the Lok Sabha seat vacant. Apart from former Nanded MP Khatgaonkar, his daughter-in-law Dr Meena Khatgaonkar, and former MLA Omprakash Pokarna also jumped the ship to join the Congress. Khatgaonkar had formed a co-operative, Godavari Manar Sahkari Karkhana, in Nanded through which many farmers in the constituency got employment, and it made Khatgaonkar popular among the masses. Recently, Ashok Chavan had indirectly threatened Khatgaonkar not to leave the BJP, saying “those who stay with us will be safe”. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief Nana Patole, in an apparent dig at Chavan, said “Khatgaonkar joining the Congress has strengthened the party in Nanded. He has not joined for an election ticket. Those threatening Khatgaonkar should check first if they are safe”. Khatgaonkar is the brother-in-law of former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, who joined the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections 2024. Meena Khatgaonkar is likely to contest Nanded’s Naigaon Assembly seat. “I believe in Mohabbat ki dukaan slogan of Rahul Gandhi, hence I have joined the Congress. Ashok Chavan is my relative, so I will not say much about him. Looking forward to working for the Congress in the upcoming elections”, she said after joining the grand old party. Notably, Bhaskarrao Patil Khatgaonkar had joined the Congress from the BJP in 2021. In 2024, he rejoined the BJP along with Ashok Chavan. The former Parliamentarian from Nanded has again joined the Congress fold. Elections for the 288 Assembly seats of Maharashtra are slated to be held later this year. The official announcement of dates by the Election Commission is expected in the coming weeks. Published On: Sep 21, 2024 Source link via The Novum Times

[collegelives]

Day After Quitting Congress, Ashok Chavan To Join BJP Today

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.

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.

[currentmediasstuff]

Ashok Chavan Latest To Quit Congress After Milind Deora, Baba Siddique

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.

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.

[theindia100]

ok Compares Shivaji To PM; Sena Says "His Descendants Should Quit BJP"

Mumbai: A book by a BJP leader comparing Chhatrapati Shivaji to Prime Minister Narendra Modi has led to massive political outrage in Maharashtra with the Congress, the Shiv Sena and Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) - who are part of the ruling alliance - hitting out the BJP. The book, titled "Aaj ke Shivaji: Narendra Modi" and written by BJP leader Jay Bhagwan Goyal, was released during a religious-cultural meet organised by the Delhi BJP.

Terming it "chamchagiri" or sycophancy, the Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut said the warrior king's descendants should clarify if they like the Prime Minister being likened to him. "Chhatrapati Shivaji's descendants should clarify if they like (Narendra) Modi being compared to him.

Chhatrapati Shivaji's descendants should quit BJP over the book," Mr Raut said, targeting the BJP's Rajya Sabha member Sambhaji Raje, who is a descendant of Shivaji. Sambhaji Raje on Sunday demanded that BJP theindianews chief Amit Shah immediately ban the book.

"We respect Narendra Modi, who was elected as the prime minister of the country for the second time. But neither (Narendra) Modi nor anybody else in the world can be compared with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj," he said on Sunday. Another BJP leader, Udayanraje Bhosale, is the thirteenth descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji. He had resigned from the NCP within months of the April 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He had later joined the BJP and fought the Lok Sabha by-election from Satara in October last year.

However, he lost the by-election. Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe on Sunday lodged a complaint with Nagpur Police against the author for allegedly hurting the sentiments of people by comparing PM Modi with Shivaji in his book. Maharashtra minister Ashok Chavan of the Congress said Chhatrapati Shivaji's personality and work are incomparable. "No individual can even match the legendary warrior king's toe nail," he said.

[alwaysfirst]

Shiv Sena calls Eknath Shinde's trust vote victory 'stolen majority'

Jul 05, 2022 08:56 IST Mumbai (Maharashtra) , July 5 (Always First): A day after Eknath Shinde won the Vote of Confidence in the Maharashtra Assembly, Shiv Sena on Tuesday termed the victory as "stolen majority" and said that it was "not the belief of the people" of the state. The party also took a jibe at Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis asking who was the person who stopped him from taking oath as a Chief Minister. "At the time of floor test, the BJP-backed Shinde group was supported by 164 MLAs and 99 voted against it. Some MLAs of Congress, NCP were absent at the time of the majority test. It is surprising that senior ministers like Ashok Chavan and Vijay Wadettiwar could not reach the assembly. Devendra Fadnavis has thanked the invisible forces that made the majority test successful. He gave a speech on how strong, great leader Shinde is, but who is the invisible force stopping Fadnavis from taking oath as the chief minister?" Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna said in its editorial on Tuesday. "This question stands before Maharashtra. BJP and Shinde faction got the vote of confidence passed in the assembly, this is a stolen majority. This is not the belief of 11 crore people of Maharashtra," it added. The mouthpiece further said Fadnavis' remarks on his return were funny and cautioned that he "should not forget that Eknath Shinde is the Chief Minister". "I came again and brought others along, Devendra Fadnavis made such a statement on this occasion, which is funny. The way he came, it must not have been in their dreams. He should not forget that Eknath Shinde is the Chief Minister. There is a change of power in Maharashtra, in which the love of principles, morals and ideas is also not visible," it said. Saamna also hit out at MLA Santosh Bangar who jumped ship from the Uddhav Thackeray side to the Eknath Shinde faction ahead of the trust vote, and said, "The BJP-backed Shinde faction government has won the majority test in the assembly. MLA Santosh Bangar stood in favour of Shiv Sena till the election for the post of Speaker of the Assembly and what happened in the 24 hours that he joined the vamp of the 'loyal' Shinde faction at the time of the vote of confidence?" The new Eknath Shinde-led government in Maharashtra won the floor test on Monday by a 164-99 margin, proving his government's majority and cementing his position as chief minister of the state and the leader of the Shiv Sena. 164 votes were polled in favour of Shinde, while 99 votes were polled against the newly formed BJP-Shinde camp coalition. Shiv Sena MLA from Shetkari Kamgar Paksh of Uddhav Thackeray faction Shyamsundar Shinde also voted in favour of Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde in the trust vote. He did not join the Shinde faction but voted in their favour. The trust vote comes a day after BJP's Rahul Narwekar was elected the Assembly Speaker. On Sunday Narwekar reinstated Shinde as the Shiv Sena's legislative party leader and also recognised the appointment of Gogawale as the chief whip of the Shiv Sena. A total of three members abstained from voting. (Always First) Read the full article

[bigyack-com]

Ajit Pawar back as Deputy CM, Aaditya becomes minister as Uddhav Thackeray expands cabinet - india news

Thirty six ministers were inducted in the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra cabinet on Monday. The ministers who took oath today include Uddhav’s 29-year-old son, Aaditya Thackeray.This is the first time in Maharashtra that a father-son duo will be included in the state’s Council of Ministers.Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar, nephew of party chief Sharad Pawar, took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. This will be his second stint in over one month after an overnight coup to form government with BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis lasted for just three days in November.Out of the 36 ministers, 26 ministers were sworn-in as cabinet ministers and 10 ministers took oath as junior ministers. There are three women in the expanded Council of Ministers, including two of the cabinet rank - Varsha Gaikwad and Yashomati Thakur from Congress and Aditi Tatkare from NCP.The new Council of Ministers now has four Muslim ministers. These are Nawab Malik and Hasan Mushariff from NCP, Aslam Shaikh from Congress and Abdul Sattar from Shiv Sena.Sattar, a Congress MLA, joined Sena ahead of the assembly polls.Besides Aaditya, senior NCP leader and MP Sunil Tatkare’s daughter Aditi - a first-time MLA - has also been found a place in the Council of Ministers. Other generation next politicians include Amit Deshmukh, son of former Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, Varsha Gaikwad, former minister and daughter of senior Congress leader Eknath Gaikwad and party’s working president Vishwajeet Kadam, son of late Congress leader Patangrao Kadam.Uddhav Thackeray has also given a chance to three independents, including farmer leader and four-term independent legislator Bacchu Kadu from Vidarbha, Shankar Gaddakh from Ahmednagar, Rajendra Yadravkar from Kolhapur. All these independents had given their support to the Shiv Sena.The Congress left out former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan but included another of its former CM Ashok Chavan in the list.From the Shiv Sena, Thackeray has rewarded party loyalists like MLC Anil Parab besides former ministers like Sanjay Rathod, Gulabrao Patil, Dada Bhuse, Uday Samant, Shambhuraje Desai. The newcomers in the list include Sattar, Sandipan Bhumre (Marathwada). Those who were left out include former minister Ravindra Waikar, Sunil Raut, brother of Sena MP Sanjay Raut among others.It was reported that Sanjay Raut is upset but he denied this saying they had only done their job and did not expect anything in return.The NCP list of ministers also includes loyalists and former ministers like Dilip Walse Patil, Rajesh Tope, Hasan Mushariff, Nawab Malik, Rajendra Shingane, Anil Deshmukh. The new comers in the NCP list include Thane legislator Jitendra Awhad, Dattaray Bharne (MLA from Indapur and aide of Ajit Pawar) besides Aditi Takare.All the three parties have tried to balance out regional and caste dynamics in picking the new ministers.Thackeray had taken oath as chief minister on November 28 along with six other ministers, two each from three parties forming the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi. Read the full article

[werajkaranbureau-blog]

Congress stares at obliviation in Maha after LS polls

Mumbai: The Congress, led by its national president Rahul Gandhi stares at its political obliviation in Maharashtra, after suffering its worst ever defeat in the state, once considered its stronghold. The Congress could win just one, out of 48 seats, while the combined total of the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) alliance could wrest only six seats along with allies in all, compared to the 41 that the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The only seat the Congress won was of Suresh Dhanorkar from Chandrapur, who became the giant killer as he defeated Hansraj Ahir, union minister of state for home. Two former chief ministers of the Congress, including Ashok Chavan and Sushilkumar Shinde lost the polls. The Lok Sabha election results have virtually wiped out the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party in Maharashtra, leaving political pundits stunned as the Congress lost all seats but one. Ironically, the only saving face for the Congress, led by Ashok Chavan in the state was its candidate Dhanorkar, a former Shiv Sena legislator, who quit the party before Lok Sabha polls and joined the Congress, fought on its ticket and won the Chandrapur seat. Dhanorkar is a leader of the Kunbi (farmer Marathas) community and the Chandrapur is a Kunbi dominated constituency, while his opponent Ahir is from the Gavali community. It was for the first time a political party gave a ticket to a Kunbi, the community, along with Muslim and Dalit possibly voted in favour of Dhanorkar. In Chandrapur, the DMK (Dalit-Muslim-Kunbi) factor worked against four-times BJP MP and minister Ahir and led to his defeat. The wipeout is a dramatic shift from 2009 when Maharashtra had contributed a major chunk of 25 MPs to the Congress-led United Progressives Alliance (UPA) government. In 2014 however, the opposition Congress-NCP could win a mere six seats in 2014 polls amidst the "Modi wave." The Congress came down from two in 2014 to one in 2019, all others receiving a severe drubbing. The NCP, that was nearly written off, managed to win four seats of its own - the Maratha centric seats of Baramati, Shirur, Satara and Raigad. The NCP succeeded in adding one more seat from Amravati as the party had supported independent candidate Navneet Kaur Rana, who won the seat defeating outgoing Shiv Sena MP Anand Adsul. The saffron BJP-Sena combine inflicted massive wounds on heavyweights from the Congress and the NCP including Shinde from Solapur and Chavan from Nanded, Milind Deora from Mumbai South, Eknath Gaikwad from Mumbai South-Central and Raju Shetti of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana. In Nanded, the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) candidate Yashpal Bhinge secured over 1.60 lakh votes, that resulted in Chavan’s defeat by a margin of around 50,000 votes. While accepting the result, Chavan blamed the VBA for his defeat and division of secular votes. I admit the wipe-out of the grand old party was unexpected, even with people generally talking of being fed up with dynasty rule. The shocking results for the Congress were from Mumbai city and suburbs, with political pundits expecting the Congress-NCP to retain the seats like in 2009 polls. I had not really seen the pro-Narendra Modi wave on ground, except in pockets of suburbs like Borivali, Kandivali in the Mumbai North constituency, some parts of Mulund and other pockets. It was predicted that Congress has favourable situation in Mumbai South as industrialist Mukesh Ambani had openly endorsed candidature of Milind Deora in there. What then prompted people to go all out and reject the Congress-NCP candidates, despite being disappointed with the Modi government over demonetisation and GST issues? Now, the NCP chief will have to introspect what went wrong, as with all the efforts of his party could pull off only four seats and the Congress received a drubbing. The only leader who is responsible for the debacle of Congress is its state chief Ashok Chavan who would possibly be replaced in upcoming days as the party cannot take the risk of facing the Maharashtra assembly polls scheduled in October this year under his leadership. Chavan meanwhile has taken responsibility of his party's debacle, saying they raised people’s issues in the run-up to the polls but failed to succeed. To a query on whether he will continue as the state Congress chief, Chavan told reporters in his constituency that the party central leadership would take a call on his future role. “I will present my views to the party leadership. I accept responsibility for our defeat. We relentlessly raised people’s issues and took on the government, but it is sad that we did not get success,” he said. Chavan appealed to party workers to not to get disheartened and rather start preparations for the state Assembly polls due later this year. In Maharashtra, which sends 48 members to the Lok Sabha, the BJP emerged victorious in 23 seats while the Sena won 18 seats. Read the full article

[news4me]

Congress joined government as Muslims insisted on keeping BJP out: Ashok Chavan | India News

Congress joined government as Muslims insisted on keeping BJP out: Ashok Chavan | India News

[ad_1]

AURANGABAD: A video of Maharashtra minister and senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan purportedly saying that his party joined the Shiv Sena-led government on “insistence” of the “Muslim community” to stop the BJP from returning to power has gone viral on social media. The remarks were purportedly made by the PWD minister while addressing an anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rally in…

[novumtimes]

Bhaskarrao Khatgaonkar, BJP MP Ashok Chavan brother-in-law, returns to Congress

In a blow to former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, his brother-in-law and BJP leader Bhaskarrao Patil Khatgaonkar joined the Congress on Friday ahead of the Maharashtra elections. Recently, the Congress MP from Nanded, Vasant Chavan, passed away, leaving the Lok Sabha seat vacant. Apart from former Nanded MP Khatgaonkar, his daughter-in-law Dr Meena Khatgaonkar, and former MLA Omprakash Pokarna…

[collegelives]

Ashok Chavan's Faux Pas As He Joins BJP, And A Series Of Laughter

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.

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

[india-today-news-yahoopartn-blog]

Mumbai: Cracks in Congress, top leaders skip Sanjay Nirupam's rally

Mumbai Congress which is aggressively running campaign against PM Narendra Modi decision of demonetisation. Today, they had called for 'Gherao' to suburban collector office. Though Mumbai Congress workers and leaders were in large number but top leadership of Congress was missing in this rally.

Top brass of Congress leadership choosed to stay away from 'Gherao' organised by Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam. Senior Leaders like Ashok Chavan, Sushilkumar Shinde, Narayan Rane, Prithviraj Chavan, Balasaheb Thorat, Harshavardhan Patil, Rohidas Patil were in 'Gandhi Bhavan 'Congress's office near Matralay but non of these leaders attended the rally organised by Mumbai Congress Chief Sanjay Nirupam.

{funfacts}

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW :

This was not the first incident when Sanjay Nirupam was isolated by top leaders of Congress.

In the beginning of year 2016, when Nirupam organised a rally from Marine Drive to Azad Maidan against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, despite being in Mumbai many leaders of congress decided to stay at home only.

Another incident is of few months back there was an protest against Nirupam by former MP of Congress Gurudas Kamat's supporter. During that protest many leaders preferred to stay with Kamat.

Finally Nirupam got backed by non another than Congress Vice president Rahul Gandhi.

When Sanjay Nirupam was tried to ask about missing top leaders from his rally he preferred not to comment on this.

When rally was happening the top leaders of Congress were busy in meeting with senior leader Kapil Sibal.

"Timing of meeting with Kapil Sibal could have easily changed but don't know why they choose a same time of 1:30 pm when our rally started. This sends negative message in workers when elections are at the corner ", said a leader of Mumbai Congress on condition of anonymity.

Congress who will be contesting crucial Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election alone will also have to tackle another in-house problem of top leadership not keen to join hands with Mumbai Congress leaders.

If this situation doesn't change then winning BMC election will remain dream for Mumbai Congress.

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Also read: Mumbai: State government move regarding hawkers is illegal, says Sanjay Nirupam

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Congress joined government as Muslims insisted on keeping BJP out: Ashok Chavan | India News

Congress joined government as Muslims insisted on keeping BJP out: Ashok Chavan | India News

AURANGABAD: A video of Maharashtra minister and senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan purportedly saying that his party joined the Shiv Sena-led government on “insistence” of the “Muslim community” to stop the BJP from returning to power has gone viral on social media. The remarks were purportedly made by the PWD minister while addressing an anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rally in Nanded in

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Senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan on Sunday alleged the BJP was using NCP leader Ajit Pawar to "confuse" people. Mr Chavan's remarks came hours after Ajit Pawar, who had joined hands with the BJP on... from NDTV News - Special https://ift.tt/2rp8Pek

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Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra govt to expand cabinet today - india news

Mumbai Just over a month after he took over the reins of Maharashtra in a dramatic turn of events, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday will expand his cabinet of ministers of the three-party Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.Currently, there are six ministers in Thackeray’s cabinet. The council of ministers can have up to 42 ministers and a chief minister. With 36 berths available, more than 30 MLAs of the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress are expected to take oath. The parties may keep a couple of spots vacant to be filled later. Allocation of portfolios is also expected soon after the expansion.Senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar is expected to be inducted into the cabinet and he could return as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, party insiders said. Apart from Pawar, his party colleagues Dilip Walse Patil, Dhananjay Munde and Nawab Malik are expected to be inducted into Thackeray’s council of ministers.Congress is likely to induct senior leaders Ashok Chavan, Vijay Wadittiwar and KC Padvi, among others. However, the Congress may leave another former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan out. There are speculations that he may be given responsibility of the party’s state unit.The Sena, which is headed by Thackeray, is expected to retain some of its ministers in the previous government with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It will also induct some fresh faces this time. Party insiders said that Thackeray was not keen on giving ministerial berths to senior leaders Diwakar Raote and Ramdas Kadam, who were ministers in the previous government.Thackeray scion and Worli MLA Aaditya is unlikely to be inducted. He is expected to focus on party work and gain an understanding of government functioning before being made minister at a later stage.The three parties, who were in a huddle for two weeks, have also kept regional and caste representation in mind, while deciding to pick ministers.NCP’s Ajit Pawar, Hassan Mushrif, Walse Patil, Datta Barne, are from western Maharashtra. Dhananjay Munde and Rajesh Tope, who are expected to be inducted, are from Marathwada region. Rajendra Shingne and Anil Deshmukh represent Vidarbha, while Jitendra Awhad and Nawab Malik are from Thane and Mumbai respectively. Aditi Tatkare, debutant MLA from Shrivardhan in Raigad and daughter of senior NCP leader Sunil Tatkare, is likely to be inducted as a junior minister.Earlier, Sena MLAs were unhappy with the leadership for ignoring direct representatives (MLAs) of the people by giving ministerial berths to members of legislative council (MLCs).According to Sena functionaries, Tanaji Sawant, Ravindra Waikar, Sanjay Rathod, Gulabrao Patil, Dada Bhuse could be retained. Sawant hails from Marathwada, Waikar is from Mumbai, Rathod is from Vidarbha, while Patil and Bhuse represent north Maharashtra. Abdul Sattar, a former Congress MLA who joined Sena ahead of the polls, could be inducted with Anil Parab, who is considered close to Thackeray. Thane MLA Pratap Sarnaik, Uday Samant, Bhaskar Jadhav, Prakash Abitkar, Sanjay Shirsat are among the other probables who may get a chance in Thackeray’s cabinet.Meanwhile in Congress, veteran tribal leader from north Maharashtra KC Padvi would be included along with Wadettiwar of Vidarbha and Satej Patil from western Maharashtra. Sons and daughters of established congress leaders including Vishwajeet Kadam, Amit Deshmukh and Varsha Gaikwad could be inducted as ministers in the expansion.Of the big four portfolios—Home, Urban Development Department (UDD), Finance and Revenue—the Sena intends to keep UDD and Home. The NCP is pressing for home department along with finance. The Congress will get the revenue department.The NCP is still negotiating with Thackeray to give them the home portfolio, which is currently with Sena’s Eknath Shinde. It is speculated that Ajit Pawar could be given the home department. However, the Sena is not keen on it as the NCP is not parting with the housing portfolio in exchange.There is no official word on who would keep the home department—Sena or NCP. NCP and Sena insiders said that the housing department is expected to go to NCP. Congress has demanded one of the three departments with rural connect — rural development, agriculture or cooperation. Read the full article