‘Betrayer’s exit opens opportunities’: Leaders react to Ashok Chavan’s Cong exit

In response, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole reaffirmed the defeat the “dictatorial and fanatic” BJP, while Leader of opposition in Maharashtra Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar said Chavan never expressed disappointment over any development in the party.

“The ruling side may try to break a political party, but they will pay a heavy political price for it. People do not like leaders from the opposition being harassed like this and being forced to join your party,” Wadettiwar said while also denying speculation that he too will soon quit the Congress.

Senior Congress leader and former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan called Ashok Chavan’s exit unfortunate, and added that he was unaware of the compulsion behind the decision.

Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe said, “We don’t have alliance organisations like the ED, CBI and Income tax.” Party MLA Aslam Shaikh, meanwhile, clarified that he is not leaving the Congress. Another party spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said it is difficult these days to do politics while staying in the opposition. “It is very difficult to look the government in the eye and tell them that the white paper that they have brought is nothing but a fake document. Some are pressured by probe agencies, some lured with inducements. Those who have left the party in the last few days – look at the Enforcement Directorate cases against them, the picture will be clear to you,” she said.

Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam, meanwhile, blamed a certain senior leader’s behaviour for Ashok Chavan’s departure. “He was troubled by the behaviour of one particular senior Congress leader from Maharashtra. He had at various times given information about this to the party’s senior leadership. If his complaints were taken seriously, this moment would not have arisen. Ashok Chavan is resourceful, a skilled organiser, a man with mass following and a serious leader. When the Bharat Jodo Yatra was held for five days in Nanded last year, the entire leadership witnessed his capabilities. His quitting the Congress is a big loss. No one will be able to compensate for it,” he said.

While addressing a public rally in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray claimed the Bharatiya Janata Party is becoming “Congress Occupied BJP.” “Prime Minister Narendra Modi thumps his chest saying his party would win 400 seats in 2024 (Lok Sabha polls). This is why is he breaking other parties. With so many Congress leaders being inducted into the BJP, there will be a day when its national president will be from Congress,” he claimed.

“Had the BJP worked honestly in the last 10 years, it would not have to resort to inducting leaders from other parties,” he said.

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut wondered whether now the former Maharashtra Chief Minister would stake a claim on the grand old party and its ‘hand’ symbol.

Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi president Prakash Ambedkar said the BJP will pay a heavy price for practicing the politics of tod-phod (breaking parties). “We have never seen such politics in the last seven decades. Elections were held once in five years. There would be campaigns and chaos. Everybody would make allegations. But once results were out, the politics took a backseat. There was a government for five years. Now, we see uncertainty and unprecedented politics in the state. The Marathi manoos does not endorse such politics,” he said.

BJP leaders, while not addressing rumours of Ashok Chavan joining their party, blamed unrest within the Congress party as the reason behind the leader’s exit.

Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said many good leaders from the Congress are in touch with the BJP, adding that the grand old party’s functioning is making them feel suffocated. “Definitely a few big leaders will join the BJP in the coming days. I only want to say one thing today. Aage aage dekhiye hota hai kya,” he said.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule claimed there has been a major “unrest” in the Congress. “If anyone wishes to accept Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s agenda of development and BJP’s ideology, we welcome those people. At the moment, we have enough strength to win three Rajya Sabha seats (out of the six from Maharashtra going to polls later this month),” he said.

BJP leader and state Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said, “It seems Congress leader Ashok Chavan was tired of the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and state party president Nana Patole. The Congress leaders are tired and hence, they are shifting to some other parties.”

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