Massive blow for Congress, former Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan quits party

In a massive setback for the Congress in Maharashtra, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan has quit the Congress and is set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), sources said. According to reports, the senior Congress leader met Speaker Rahul Narvekar in Mumbai, to submit his resignation. 

Chavan's exit comes days after Baba Siddique, a prominent figure in the Congress and in Bollywood circles, announced his departure from the Grand Old Party to join Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party. Siddique's exit had been anticipated, with speculations rife, but the official confirmation came during an event on February 10, following the Election Commission's recognition of Ajit Pawar's NCP.

Chavan's resignation marks the third significant setback for Congress in the lead-up to the elections, following Milind Deora's departure to join Eknath Shinde's Sena faction. These departures come amidst seat-sharing disputes between Congress and the Uddhav Sena, further weakening Congress' position in Maharashtra politics.

In the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, the Congress, in alliance with Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena and the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP, will contest under the banner of the INDIA bloc.

Who is Ashok Chavan?

Chavan, considered a close aide of the Gandhi family, is a strong Maratha leader from Nanded in the Marathwada region. Chavan was selected to be Chief Minister of Maharashtra to replace Vilasrao Deshmukh in December 2008 after the Mumbai terror attacks. He also served as Minister for Cultural Affairs, Industries, Mines and Protocol. 

Chavan is the son of former chief minister Shankarrao Chavan, making them the first father-son duo to be chief ministers in the state's history. 

His political career spans more than three decades, and in that time he has served as an elected Member of Parliament from Nanded; a Member of Maharashtra Legislative Council and later Minister of State for Public Works, Urban Development and Home. Over the years, Chavan headed several ministries in Maharashtra and was also the general secretary of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee.