Ashok Chavan opens up on his future with Congress

Senior Congress leader and former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan on Saturday dismissed reports that he was set to join the BJP as “baseless rumours”, saying that he was committed to Congress ideology.

Chavan left Mumbai on Saturday to attend a Congress meeting in Delhi and said there was no question of his leaving the party. “I am leaving for Delhi. I have to attend a party meeting to prepare for the Bharat Jodo Andolan. All these speculations about my joining BJP are baseless. I am not leaving Congress,” he said, addressing the media, adding that the “rumours being spread” were false. 

Amid talk of Maharashtra Congress MLAs and leaders crossing over to the BJP, a ‘chance meeting’ between Chavan and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the house of Ashish Kulkarni, who was the coordinator between the rebel Shiv Sena faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the BJP, created a stir in political circles.

When asked about this meeting, Chavan said, “During Ganesh festival, we receive a lot of invitations from people and politicians. We have to honour the invites by visiting people during Ganesh festival. It is our long established culture and tradition.” It has nothing to do with politics. I have not held any talks with Fadnavis to discuss politics,” he added.