The Congress was dealt another blow in Maharashtra when former chief minister Ashok Chavan, who was forced out of office after being named an accused in a housing scandal, quit the party on February 12, the third high-profile exit in less than a month.
Chavan’s resignation comes even as senior party leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, aimed at lifting the morale of the party cadre, continues. The yatra which will culminate in the state capital Mumbai on March 20.
The 65-year-old Chavan, who left the party after 38 years, was upset on being denied the position of the state party president and then a Rajya Sabha nomination, sources said.
The former Nanded MP could join the BJP with three Congress MLAs Subhash Dhote, Jitesh Antarpurkar and Amar Rajurkar, sources said, even though he hasn't said anything about his next move.
Political observers said his exit was a “big jolt” to the Congress, which is holding talks with alliance partners Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar for the parliamentary polls.
“Nothing seems to be going right for the Congress party and its senior leaders need to close its Mohabbat ki dukaan (Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra). The party’s own leaders seem to have no interest in this march. It is high time for (Rahul) Gandhi and his aides to focus and keep leaders intact,” political commentator Rasheed Kidwai said.
Chavan and Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal were close friends and the Maharasthra leader’s exit showed the incompetence of the party leadership.
“Chavan served the party in various capacities. In fact, he was given the responsibility to widen the scope of Congress and discuss seat sharing in Maharashtra. Despite this, he preferred to part ways. The Congress needs to wake up and smell the coffee,” Kidwai said.
On January 14, when Gandhi launched his Yatra, his once close aide Milind Deora quit the party to join the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction.
On February 8, former minister Baba Siddique quit and joined the Nationalist Congress Party.
Corruption taint
Chavan stepped down as the chief minister in 2010 for his alleged involvement in the Adarsh housing scam in Mumbai.
The 31-storey residential complex was built in Colaba, a tony South Mumbai neighbourhood, for the 1999 Kargil war heroes and widows.
It was found that several politicians, bureaucrats and military officials plotted to violate land ownership rules and other norms to get apartment for themselves and their family members.
The BJP had accused Chavan and the Congress of preying on martyrs and their families for illegal gains.
Chavan was acquitted in the case in 2017.
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