Mumbai, Feb 13: Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan on Tuesday announced his decision to join the Bharatiya Janata Party asserting to work for the "constructive development of Maharashtra".

Calling it a "new beginning" in his political career, Ashok Chavan said, "Today it's a new beginning of my political career. I am formally joining the BJP in their office today. I am hopeful that we will work for the constructive development of Maharashtra."

He further said that he will be joining the BJP in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, party leader Ashish Shelar and Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule.

On asked about MLAs and Congress legislators joining the BJP, he declined to comment saying that he is not aware of others.

According to sources, Ashok Chavan is likely to be BJP's Rajya Sabha candidate from the Nanded constituency of Maharashtra putting Congress in a tight spot.

Ashok Chavan resigned from the primary membership of the Congress party on Monday.

Chavan submitted his resignation to Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee President Nana Patole.

"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 the Congress primary membership," Chavan told reporters after resigning from Congress on Monday.

Ashok Chavan was the Vice President and General Secretary of the Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress Committee from 1986 to 1995.

He served the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for three terms, starting in 1999 and ending in May 2014.
He served as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra State from December 8, 2008, to November 9, 2010. On November 9, 2010, the Congress Party asked him to resign from office over corruption allegations relating to the Adarsh Housing Society scam.

In the 2014 general elections, Chavan was elected from the Nanded constituency but lost the seat in 2019 Pratap Patil Chikhalikar of the BJP.

He is the third big name to desert the Congress ship in Maharashtra. First to go was former South Mumbai MP Milind Deora, followed by former MLA Baba Siddique.

Chavan, who represents Bhokar, Nanded, as an MLA, was reported to have severe differences with state party chief Nana Patole.

(ANI)