Eknath Khadse was Maharashtra’s Finance Minister during the Devendra Fadnavis government until 2016.
Mumbai:
Former Maharashtra BJP leader Eknath Khadse joined the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) today in the presence of founder Sharad Pawar. He had left the BJP on Wednesday after four years in the political wilderness following his departure as finance minister from the Devendra Fadnavis government in 2016 on land grabbing allegations.
Khadse (68) flew to Mumbai on Thursday from his native Jalgaon district in northern Maharashtra. He was included in the NCP at the party headquarters in the city. The formal event, scheduled for 2 p.m., was delayed for more than an hour, waiting for Pawar to leave a meeting with Minister of State Jitendra Awhad.
Jayant Patil, the NCP leader in the Maharashtra Assembly, welcomed Khadse to the party and offered him a scarf.
The veteran leader on Wednesday blamed former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for “trying to destroy his life” and his political career, three decades of which were spent strengthening the BJP in Maharashtra.
“I feel sad to quit the BJP, but I had no choice. There were attempts to frame me on false rape charges,” Khadse had said.
However, Fadnavis called these allegations “half true” and added that it was Khadse who painted him as a villain.
On Friday, reports emerged of NCP supporters putting up a sign outside Khadse’s residence in Mumbai, apparently referring to his switch from the BJP to the NCP.
“Didn’t we tell you … if you change, nothing will happen, but if we change, then the whole atmosphere will change,” he said.
.
