Many BJP MLAs to join Congress before Maharashtra assembly elections, says Nana Patole

The Congress leader alleged there is a lot of resentment among the allies of the Mahayuti comprising the BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party headed by Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Friday claimed many BJP MLAs will join his party before the Maharashtra assembly elections, reported news agency PTI.

Patole was talking to reporters after the induction of former BJP MP Shishupal Patle into the party.

The Congress leader alleged there is a lot of resentment among the allies of the Mahayuti comprising the BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party headed by Ajit Pawar.

"Many leaders of the BJP and its allies will join the Congress in the coming days ahead of Maharashtra assembly elections," Patole said, reported PTI.

Patle, a former MP from Bhandara, said the BJP has changed and become a party of contractors and traders.

The party does not have a connect with farmers and the working classes, he said.

"The BJP has used central probe agencies to break opposition parties. I joined the Congress to work for people," Patle said, reported PTI.

In the Lok Sabha elections, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) won 30 out of 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state. The Shiv Sena (UBT) had contested 21 seats, followed by Congress at 17 and NCP (SP) at 10.

The ruling Mahayuti coalition could win just 17 of 48 seats, with the BJP's seat tally dropping drastically to nine from 23 in 2019.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday insisted on deciding MVA's chief ministerial face first rather than going by the logic of who wins most seats, asserting that he would back any candidate announced by the Congress and NCP (SP).

Addressing party workers of the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Mumbai, Thackeray said if the Lok Sabha polls were to protect democracy and the Constitution, then the assembly polls are a fight to preserve Maharashtra's self-respect.

Maharashtra assembly elections are likely to be held in October or November. The MVA comprises the Sena (UBT), Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) and Congress.

He insisted that the chief ministerial candidate must be decided first, rather than by the logic of the party that wins the most seats in the elections.

Thackeray said the experience he had during his alliance with the BJP was that whoever had the numbers would get the CM's post. 

But this policy was detrimental as this would lead to one party trying to defeat the other's candidate to maintain an upper hand in the alliance, he said.

(With inputs from PTI)

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