Reacting to Chavan's resignation, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis remarked that Congress leaders are feeling stifled within the party, hinting at a possible exodus of INC leaders to the BJP in the near future.
Chavan's departure from the Congress had been rumored for some time, particularly since 2022 when he, along with seven other Congress MLAs, missed a crucial trust vote against the Eknath Shinde government. Their absence during the vote fueled speculations about their allegiance.
In a brief resignation letter addressed to State Congress president Nana Patole, Chavan stated, "I am resigning from the primary membership of the In
dian National Congress from the afternoon of February 12."
This development marks yet another setback for the Congress party ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, following the recent departure of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, who joined Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) last Saturday after 48 years with the Congress.
Ashok Chavan, the son of late Union minister and chief minister Shankarrao Chavan, has been a prominent figure in Maharashtra politics since his debut in 1986 as the general secretary of the Maharashtra unit of the Congress party. Over the years, he has held various ministerial positions, including those of public works, urban development, and home.