Expect a spate of resignations from Congress & NCP MLA: Maharashtra BJP chief

BJP in Maharashtra is on a mission to dismantle the Congress-NCP combine before the upcoming assembly polls, after crushing the alliance in the recently concluded general elections, where they managed to get only six out of the 48 Lok Sabha seats.

The newly-appointed state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said on Thursday that they are expecting a spate of resignations of Congress and NCP MLAs in the coming days. “You will see that many of the MLAs from the two parties would resign either this week or in the next 10 days. They did not resign earlier because they would have to go for elections again. However, now with just three months to go for assembly polls, there will be a spate of resignations,” Patil said while speaking to reporters in Solapur. Patil has created a stir by saying that out of the five newly-appointed working presidents in the Maharashtra Congress, one was in talks with them to join their party.

ET has learnt that at least 10 MLAs from the two parties are in touch with top BJP leaders. Not just sitting MLAs but even former MLAs are seeking tickets from the BJP; one such Congress leader from Mumbai, who had previously flaunted his closeness to the Gandhi family, has now sent feelers to the BJP to contest from the Chandivali seat. A Congress leader said that MLAs and leaders are keen to join the BJP in spite of the saffron party making it clear that it will not be able to give tickets to everyone who joins the party.