A day after resigning from their parties, four Opposition legislators joined the BJP in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday. State BJP chief Chandrakant Patil inducted three MLAs from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and one from the Congress while putting to rest rumours of a rebellion brewing within the saffron ranks as another 50 legislators were speculated to join the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance in the run up to the Assembly polls due in October, 2019.
Speaking during the induction ceremony, senior BJP leaders criticised NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, who had alleged use of pressure tactics, including raids from the Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax (IT), by the BJP to coax MLAs into leaving his party.
“In the wake of these changes, a lot of allegations have flown thick and fast. Mr. Sharad Pawar has alleged our party has used pressure tactics to lure the MLAs but he should first look at his own use/misuse of the Central agencies to target NCP leaders in the past. These people are leaving only and only because their constituencies did not develop during the Congress and the NCP rule. Road works, projects related to monsoons and rains, nothing progressed in the past five years,” said Mr. Patil while announcing that thousands of other Opposition party workers were ready to join the BJP.
Shivendraraje Bhosale from Satara, Sandeep Naik from Airoli and Vaibhav Pichad from Akole in Ahmednagar district, all NCP, and Kalidas Kolambkar from Wadala (Congress) in Mumbai were the four MLAs who joined the BJP. Mr. Naik is the son of Navi Mumbai strongman Ganesh Naik, while Mr. Kolambkar is a seven-term MLA, and was originally in the Shiv Sena before joining the Congress. Mr. Bhosale is a direct descendant of King Chhatrapati Shivaji.
Mr. Patil said the BJP was likely to rule the State for the next 25 years and the legislators did not see scope to develop their constituencies by being part of the parent party, he said. “There are more people likely to join, and I assure each one that they would be given due respect and status in the party depending on their work and commitment,” he said.
The BJP has been facing stiff resistance within its fold with several local leaders opposing the entry of both Mr. Naik and Mr. Kolambkar. Opposing the entry of Mr. Naik, Belapur MLA Manda Mhatra on Wednesday said she would petition Mr. Fadnavis to oppose Mr. Naik’s entry. “His political future and existence is under threat and he is joining the BJP only to rehabilitate himself. I want to tell the Chief Minister I am the deserving candidate from Belapur and nobody else should get the ticket,” she said adding the Naiks were habitual turncoats and would do anything to stay in power. Senior BJP leaders denied there was unrest in the party and said doors were open to those who wanted to work for the party from the scratch. “There is no unrest within the party. I don’t think so. I welcome all the new entrants and assure everyone there is enough space to accommodate qualified and committed workers,” said Mr. Patil.
The exodus of Opposition leaders had started with NCP Mumbai unit chief Sachin Ahir joining the Shiv Sena last week.
