Senior BJP leader in Maharashtra Eknath Khadse quits party, to join NCP soon

Mumbai, Oct 21: Senior BJP leader Eknath Khadse has resigned from all posts of the party. He is likely to join the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Friday.

"I am resigning from the primary membership of BJP due to personal reasons," read, Khadse's resignation letter sent to BJP's Maharashtra president Chandrakant Patil.

"He (Khadse) will join NCP at 2 pm on Friday...this will strengthen the NCP," Maharashtra minister Jayant Patil told reporters here.

The development comes just a day after former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis rejected the speculations, saying there are talks every day of such kind of "muhurat".

Khadse has been sulking since he was made to resign as a minister in the then BJP government in 2016 on allegations of corruption.

According to news agency PTI, When some reporters claimed there were speculations that Khadse may take a 'political decision' on October 22, Fadnavis said, "Such kind of muhurat (auspicious time) is being talked about every day and I will not speak on it."

On Monday, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said Eknath Khadse was earlier the leader of opposition and played a huge role in building the BJP in the state.

"He would criticise us and we would take note of it," Pawar said.

"One is bound to feel disturbed if his contributions and hard work are not taken note of. He may think why shouldn't he shift to a party which appreciates his work," the NCP leader said.