Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan’s departure from the Congress party has dealt a significant blow to the party’s strategy for the upcoming 2024 elections. Ashok Chavan on Tuesday announced that he has joined Bhartiya Janata party (BJP).
Chavan’s departure following Baba Siddique, and Milind Deora has added an element of intrigue to the political landscape, raising questions about the potential impact on both the Congress party and the BJP as they navigate the approaching electoral landscape for 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.
As Congress gears up to fight the Lok Sabha elections with Maha Vikas Aghadi allies Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar‘s NCP faction, the grand old party banks on the ‘left-over’ prominent leaders to give a tough fight to the saffron alliance in Maharashtra that accounts for 48 Lok Sabha seats.
Let’s take a look
Prithviraj Chavan
Prithviraj Chavan succeeded Ashok Chavan, when the latter had to step down as the Maharashtra chief minister after being allegations of corruption were brought against Ashok Chavan in the Adarsh Housing Society scam. Prithviraj Chavan also served as a Union minister in the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government before taking over as the CM.
Balasaheb Thorat
Balasaheb Thorat is currently the Congress Legislative Party leader in the Maharashtra assembly. Thorat served as the revenue minister in the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government that ruled the state from 2019 to 2022. Balasaheb Thorat has won eight assembly elections in his political career.
Nana Patole
Nana Patole is a four-time legislator from Bhandara who also served as Maharashtra assembly speaker. Patole had defected to the BJP and had defeated NCP heavyweight Praful Patel in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. In 2017, he returned to Congress and was appointed as Congress’s farmers’ wing chief. Nana Patole was elected as an assembly member for the fourth time in 2019 and became the Speaker.
Vijay Wadettiwar
Vijay Wadettiwar is currently the leader of opposition in Maharashtra assembly since 2023. Wadettiwar hails from Chandrapur district of Vidarbha region of Maharashtra and has been a two-term legislator from Chimur assembly constituency. Amid speculations of defection following Ashok Chavan’s exit, Vijay Wadettiwar has clarified that he is not quitting Congress
Varsha Gaikwad
Varsha Gaikwad is a four-term Dharavi legislator, and the first woman president of Mumbai Congress. Gaikwad had replaced Bhai Jagtap who was heading the unit since 2020. Having made her political in 2004, she was also a minister in the Congress-NCP government as well as the MVA government.
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Published: 13 Feb 2024, 01:18 PM IST