New Delhi:
Mumbai Congress veteran and five-time city corporator Ravi Raja joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) weeks ahead of the November 20 Assembly elections in Maharashtra. His resignation from Congress ended his 44-year association with the grand old party.
Deputy Prime Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar welcomed Mr Raja to the party fold.
While he did not divulge any names, Fadnavis said many senior Congress leaders would follow Mr Raja to the BJP. “People are confident that the Mahayuti government will make a comeback,” he said.
“Raja is like an encyclopedia for issues in Mumbai. He is an old friend of ours. The decision of Raja and his supporters to join the BJP would strengthen the party's prospects ahead of the Assembly elections in Maharashtra” Shelar said.
In his response to the problems faced by Mahayuti voters – BJP, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde led by Shiv Sena and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit-Pawar led by NCP – regarding seat sharing for the upcoming elections, Mr Fadnavis said that all issues have been resolved. announced and the names will be announced soon.
Meanwhile, Mr Fadnavis also said that all efforts are being made to appease senior party leader Gopal Shetty, who filed his nomination as an independent from Borivali constituency after the BJP picked Sanjay Upadhyay to contest from the north seat Mumbai.
The state of Maharashtra will witness single-phase polls on November 20, the results of which will be declared on November 23.