Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis appears to be facing opposition from a section in the BJP to the possible induction of Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil's son into the party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil's son Sujay has already announced he will contest from the Ahmednagar Lok Sabha constituency, currently represented by BJP MP Dilip Gandhi.
Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil is also the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly.
Sujay Vikhe Patil, a practising neuro surgeon in Ahmednagar, had last week met state minister and BJP leader Girish Mahajan in Mumbai, sparking rumours of his entry into the ruling party.
However, Gandhi supporters do not appear enthused by Sujay Vikhe Patil's possible entry into the BJP and prospect of him contesting the next month's Lok Sabha polls.
They feel if Sujay Vikhe Patil joins the BJP, he should contribute to the party's growth before given a poll ticket.
At a BJP meeting here Monday, they appealed to Fadnavis to let Sujay Vikhe Patil first work for the party and strengthen it in the western Maharashtra district.
"He (Sujay Vikhe Patil) can be given a chance in the next Lok Sabha elections. First he should be asked to serve the party," a Gandhi supporter said at the meeting.
The NCP had contested from the Ahmednagar Lok Sabha constituency in 2014 and the party appears unwilling to give it to the Congress as part of their proposed seat-sharing arrangement.
Speculation is rife that Sujay Vikhe Patil would join the BJP Tuesday.
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