A dozen Maharashtra BJP MLAs, Rajya Sabha MP in crossover talks with MVA

New Delhi: Maharashtra politics may witness aftershocks of the political battle that saw installation of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government.

Around a dozen BJP MLAs and a Rajya Sabha MP from the state are learnt to be negotiating with leaders of the ruling trio for a possible crossover by deserting their party, according to some members of the ruling coalition.

Majority of the prospective defectors are BJP MLAs who crossed over from NCP and Congress just before the assembly elections. A few others are classified as ‘unhappy BJP MLAs’, sources involved in the negotiations told ET. All of them, and a BJP Rajya Sabha MP, have already conveyed to ruling front leaders their willingness to resign their legislature membership and contest as candidates of the respective ruling parties to which they intend to return. During the polls, many NCP and Congress MLAs who defected to BJP had high stakes in cash-rich education and sugar mill sectors and were facing the heat of the then state government ‘machinery’.


“The BJP leadership has already set precedents of making many opposition MLAs in different states and opposition MPs in the Rajya Sabha to resign and contest by elections on the ‘Lotus’ symbol.

Encouraged by the very precedents, around a dozen BJP MLAs and a Rajya Sabha MP are in talks with us.

They are ready to quit and contest by elections. We are seriously engaged with them on their future course,” said a leader of the ruling coalition. “They are awaiting the green signal from our leadership.

The issue could gain momentum after the upcoming winter session of the Maharashtra assembly in Nagpur,” another leader said.

Majority of these MLAs who filed their ‘expression of interest’ in crossing over are seeking readmission in NCP, some others in Congress and the remaining lot want admission in Sena.

The MLAs had won by defeating corresponding coalition partners in their constituencies. They think, they will have a good chance of winning the bypoll if the three party coalition pool their votes.

Pointing out that the Uddhav Thackeray government won the trust vote with the support of 169 MLAs (minus the Speaker) and BJP staged a walkout, one of the leaders quoted above said: “We have many invisible friends among BJP MLAs.

That is why the Devendra Fadnavisled BJP shied away from showing its strength during the trust vote and Speaker’s election, when BJP withdrew its candidate.”

The development coincides with reports that senior Maharashtra BJP leaders who were denied tickets have publicly expressed ‘disillusionment’ and subtly threatened to crossover. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut had also recently said that his party was working on a mission to topple the BJP government in Goa.