Sule takes dig at Patil on 'misdirected' switchover to BJP

NCP Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule on Wednesday attacked Congress leader Harshvardhan Patil, who has joined the ruling BJP in poll-bound Maharashtra, saying his case is akin to the one who "left husband after being involved in a fight with brother-in-law".

The Baramati MP described Patil's switchover to the ruling party as "unfortunate".

Patil (56), a former state minister, joined the saffron party on Wednesday at an event in south Mumbai in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who said he had been waiting for Patil to cross over for the last five years.

"It is unfortunate. Me and Harshvardhan Patil share family relation for decades. I felt very bad after listening to his speech. His case has been like one has had fight with brother-in-law, but is leaving husband.

"Why are you leaving the Congress if you are unhappy with the NCP?" she asked.

Sule also referred to Fadnavis's 2014 poll allegation that the NCP was a party of "Ali Baba Aur Chalis Chor" (Ali Baba and Forty Thieves) and asked why he was inducting leaders from the opposition party into the BJP.

"It means either he lied in 2014 and he should clarify on that or he has forgiven the crimes of those joining the BJP," she added.

NCP leader from Navi Mumbai Ganesh Naik, a former minister, is also set to join the ruling party.

Earlier, NCP MLA and Naik's son Sandip quit the party and joined the BJP along with other party colleagues Shivendrasinh Bhosale and Vaibhav Pichad.