MUMBAI: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is busy welcoming leaders from different parties and independents. Within the span of a week, three leaders from western Maharashtra, a traditional stronghold of the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), have joined the party. According to sources, a senior NCP leader from Konkan is all set to join the BJP.
On Wednesday, Kolhapur’s former MLA Vinay Kore, who is the chief of the Jansurajya Party and heads Warna cooperative sugar mill, formed an alliance with the BJP for the coming civic polls. “I have formed an alliance with the BJP without any expectations. The BJP’s agenda is to promote rural economy and we find it a positive step,” said Mr. Kore. Two days earlier, Samarjitsingh Ghatge from Kolhapur had joined the BJP. “People across the State are realising the BJP’s strength and dedication towards the State’s development, and as a result they are joining us. While many are waiting in line, we will be selective and won’t take all in,” said BJP’s Maharashtra unit chief Raosaheb Danve.
Kolhapur is one of the districts in western Maharashtra where the party had failed to make inroads in the 2014 Assembly polls. Despite the dominance of the Congress and the NCP through co-operative sector, the Shiv Sena, which contested independently, had won six seats. Now, with sidelined leaders, who also carry the legacy of the cooperative movement, the BJP hopes to score big in the civic polls.
Sambhajiraje Bhosle, the descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji, has also joined the BJP and the party has nominated him for the Rajya Sabha.
That’s not all. The Independent MLA from Pimpri-Chinchwad, Mahesh Landge, joined the BJP on Tuesday. Mr. Landge was seen as a loyalist of former Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar. With the Pimpri-Chinchwad corporation polls too slated to be held in two-three month’s time, the BJP plans to use Mr. Landge to challenge Mr. Pawar’s dominance in the civic body.
