Maharashtra: Basavaraj Patil quits Congress, joins BJP ahead of LS polls

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 27 : Basavaraj Patil, who resigned from the Congress, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday.
Patil joined the party in the presence of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Mahrashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil.
Basavaraj Patil is a two-time MLA from the Ausa constituency in Maharashtra.
Earlier, ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, in a severe blow to the grand old party, around 55 former Congress MLAs followed in the footsteps of former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday in Nanded.
Speaking to ANI, BJP leader Ashok Chavan said, "Today we talked to BJP leaders and officials regarding the Lok Sabha elections, the conversation was good. Together, we will make the BJP win in Nanded. There is no doubt in it. 55 former Congress MLAs met me today and expressed their intention of joining the BJP. I told them they were all welcome and gave them entry to join the party."
Earlier on February 21, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis felicitated and congratulated the BJP's newly elected Rajya Sabha members, including Congress turncoat Ashok Chavan.
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in Mumbai on February 13.