Addressing the media in Mumbai, Chavan acknowledged his family’s longstanding association with the Congress but indicated a personal decision to part ways. When questioned about his potential candidacy for the Rajya Sabha seat from Maharashtra, Chavan stated that discussions with the BJP hadn’t taken place yet. He pledged to reveal his further political plans within 48 hours.
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Chavan tendered his resignation to Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee chief Nana Patole. He also submitted resignation as MLA to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar. Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis hinted at more defections, particularly from Congress, citing discontent among senior leaders.
Nana Patole, President of the Congress state unit, expressed disappointment over Chavan’s departure, highlighting his family’s significant contributions to the party. He suggested that Chavan’s decision might stem from concerns regarding investigative agencies rather than ideological differences.
The trend of defections began with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s move against Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray in 2022, followed by NCP’s Ajit Pawar’s recent defection to the BJP. Chavan’s departure signals another blow to the Congress, with reports indicating that more MLAs might follow suit in the coming days. Senior Congress leaders from the State and the centre are connecting with party MLAs in an effort to keep the flock intact.