Mumbai, Sep 20 In a severe jolt to the BJP, a former 3-time MLA and 3-time MP Bhaskarrao Patil-Khatgoankar of Nanded - who is the brother-in-law of BJP MP Ashok Chavan - returned to the Congress on Friday.
State Congress President Nana F. Patole welcomed Patil-Khatgaonkar, 80, along with his daughter-in-law and politician Dr. Meenal N. Patil-Khatgoankar, former MLA Omprakash Pokarna and hundreds of BJP workers into the party.
Patole described Patil-Khatgaonkar as a dedicated grassroots worker from Nanded who has rejoined the Congress without any conditions or claiming any positions.
Quitting the Congress to join the BJP in 2014, Patil-Khatgaonkar is not only the brother-in-law of the ex-CM Chavan – who quit the Congress to join BJP in February 2024 – but also his close confidante and a staunch political associate.
However, over the past few years the engineer and former two-term minister in the Congress state governments, was reportedly unhappy with the BJP but after discussions with the Congress leadership, decided to return to the latter today.
“I am happy to return to the Congress… The Congress had given me opportunities to work as MLA, MP, and minister… Midway, I had gone to another party (BJP), but now I have come back home,” remarked Patil-Khatgaonkar, amid a huge round of applause and cheers.
A formidable leader from Nanded, he has been deeply associated with the cotton and sugar industry, serving in top positions in various industry bodies, besides founding and running educational institutions in the region.
His entry is expected to give a big boost to the Congress in Nanded and surrounding regions where he commands a significant hold, amid speculation that his daughter-in-law may be given a Congress ticket for the Assembly polls.
Besides Patole, former ministers Amit Vilasrao Deshmukh, D. P. Sawant, Nanded South constituency MLA Mohanrao Hambarde and other bigwigs oversaw the return of Patil-Khatgaonkar and a large number of activists at a function held at the party headquarters in Dadar this afternoon.
--IANS
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