MUMBAI: Former chief minister and Congress leader Ashok Chavan on Monday resigned from the primary membership of the party. Chavan submitted his resignation to Maharastra Congress chief Nana Patil.
Chavan met Maharashtra Assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar amid speculation that he would resign as an MLA and join the BJP. However legislature sources said that Chavan would submit his resignation as an MLA later on Monday and then file a Rajya Sabha nomination from the BJP.
Chavan met Maharashtra Assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar amid speculation that he would resign as an MLA and join the BJP. However legislature sources said that Chavan would submit his resignation as an MLA later on Monday and then file a Rajya Sabha nomination from the BJP.
Sources said that several other Congress leaders may join the BJP with Chavan. Legislature sources said that Chavan had not submitted his resignation as an MLA till Monday afternoon when he met Narwekar.
Chavan, 65, is a veteran Congressman and was also an MP between 2014 and 2019 from Nanded. He’s a political heavyweight and seen as a leader with a mass base in the Nanded region. He’s the son of late Congress CM Shankarao Chavan.
Chavan’s entry into the BJP will come days after senior Maharashtra Congress leaders Baba Siddique and Milind Deora quit the grand old party. While Deora joined the Shiv Sena led by CM Eknath Shinde, Siddique joined the NCP led by DCM Ajit Pawar.
Ashok Chavan: A profile of his political journey
- Ashok Chavan embarked on his political career within the Congress party, holding the position of General Secretary of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee from 1995 to 1999. He later ascended to the role of President of the state Congress unit, a position he held from 2014 to 2019.
- During 1987 to 1989, Chavan represented the Nanded Lok Sabha constituency as a Member of Parliament. His political trajectory continued in 1992 when he secured a seat in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, assuming responsibilities as the Minister of State for Public Works, Urban Development, and Home in March 1993.
- In 2003, he took on the role of Minister for Transport, Ports, Cultural Affairs, and Protocol in the Congress-NCP government under the leadership of the late Vilasrao Deshmukh. Subsequently, in November 2004, Chavan was entrusted with key portfolios, including Industries, Mining, Cultural Affairs, and Protocol in the Maharashtra cabinet.
- Following the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, Chavan assumed the position of chief minister, serving in this capacity for almost two years. However, he stepped down amid allegations of corruption in the Adarsh Housing Society scam case.