MUMBAI: Ancient Maharashtra BJP Leader Eknath Khadse on friday he joined the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in the presence of the party chief Sharad PawarBored since his unceremonious departure from the ministry led by Devendra Fadnavis in 2016 over land grabbing allegations, Khadse (68) resigned from the BJP on Wednesday. On the same day, the head of the PNC Jayant patil announced that he would join the party led by Pawar.
NCP is part of the ruling alliance in the state along with Shiv Sena and Congress, whose Maha vikas aghadi (MVA) took office 11 months ago.
Khadse, a former Maharashtra Finance Minister and also a former opposition leader in the State Assembly, was incorporated into the CPN at the party’s headquarters here.
The leader, who flew here Thursday from his native Jalgaon district in northern Maharashtra, was in a political wasteland for the past four years, though he left the BJP just two days ago.
Khadse’s formal entry into NCP, scheduled for 2 pm, was delayed for more than an hour as Pawar was in a meeting with the party’s minister, Jitendra Awhad.
Jayant Patil welcomed Khadse to the party, offering him a scarf.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Khadse had blamed Fadnavis for “trying to destroy his life” and his political career, more than three decades dedicated to strengthening the BJP in Maharashtra.
In response to Khadse’s charges against him, Fadnavis (50) said that his former BJP colleague was telling “half the truth”, adding that Khadse had painted him as a villain while making the accusations against him.
.
