 "Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan (Photo: ANI)")
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan has resigned from Congress. Media reports suggest that he may have been unhappy with the party. Amid his resignation, speculation arose on whether the leader may join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Chavan's political career took a major setback when he stepped down as chief minister after the Adarsh Housing Society Scam came to light in 2010. The command for his resignation came from the party and he was swiftly replaced by Prithviraj Chavan.
In 2014, he contested the Lok Sabha elections from Nanded and was among the only two Congress leaders to win a seat in Maharashtra. He was made Congress state President in 2015, however, lost the Nanded seat to BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
While he was very active in Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, speculation arose on whether the politician would leave the party for BJP after he missed key Congress party meetings. In August 2023, Chavan's position in the Congress party once again solidified as he was included in the Congress Working Committee (CWC).
Speaking with the media, Chavan clarified, "I have resigned from the Assembly membership as an MLA. I have given my resignation to the Speaker. I have resigned from the Congress Working Committee and Congress primary membership."When asked about joining the BJP, he said, "I have not decided to join any party. I will clear my stand on joining a party after two days."
(With agency inputs)
