Some Cong, NCP MLAs to join BJP soon, claims Patil

Some Congress and NCP MLAs will resign and join the BJP within a week or 10 days, the saffron party's newly-appointed Maharashtra unit chief Chandrakant Patil claimed on Thursday.

The NCP was quick to hit back at Patil over his claim, saying he was making such a statement to create confusion in the opposition camp ahead of the Assembly polls.

"There will be resignations of lot many Congress, NCP MLAs this week," Patil told reporters at the government rest house here.

The BJP leader, however, refrained from naming the opposition legislators who are likely to switch over to the ruling party.

"The fun part of it will be missing if I reveal the names. The fun of life lies in the uncertainty. So, let it remain that way," he said cryptically.

On Wednesday also, Patil said one should not be surprised if any of the five Maharashtra working presidents of the Congress joined the BJP in the coming days.

The Congress last Saturday appointed Balasaheb Thorat as its state unit president.

It also appointed Nitin Raut, Basawaraj M Patil, Vishwajeet Kadam, Yashomati Chandrakant Thakur and Muzaffer Hussain as its working presidents for the state.

NCP chief spokesperson Nawab Malik said Patil's comments implied the ruling party lacked enough candidates to fight the state Assembly polls, due in September-October, and therefore, the attempt to create confusion.

Malik exuded confidence that no one from the NCP was going to switch over to the BJP.

"They want to create confusion among the opposition rank and file. Their claims suggest they do not have candidates and hence, are trying to import candidates from other parties. No one from the NCP is going to defect (to the BJP)," Malik said.