In the urban expanse of Mumbai, the political landscape underwent a seismic shift as Ashok Chavan, scion of the late Shankarrao Chavan, a former Chief Minister and Union Minister in Maharashtra, tendered his resignation from the primary membership of the Congress party this Monday.
The missive conveying his departure found its way to Nana Patole, the president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC). Within the carefully crafted lines, Chavan, hailing from Nanded district, delineated his status as a former Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA). A luminary in the political firmament, Chavan, once at the helm of the MPCC, had adorned the Lok Sabha from 1987 to 1989, with a subsequent re-election triumph in May 2014.
His political voyage also included a stint as the Vice President and General Secretary of the Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress Committee from 1986 to 1995. Chavan’s tryst with the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly spanned three terms, commencing in 1999 and concluding in May 2014. He ascended to the Chief Ministerial throne of Maharashtra on December 8, 2008, only to vacate it on November 9, 2010.
The tumultuous turn of events in 2010 stemmed from corruption allegations related to the Adarsh Housing Society scam in Mumbai. The Congress, on November 9, 2010, demanded Chavan’s resignation in the wake of the scandal. Despite a successful electoral foray in 2014 from the Nanded constituency, Chavan faced defeat in 2019, conceding the seat to BJP’s Pratap Patil Chikhalikar.
In the political exodus from the Congress camp in Maharashtra, Ashok Chavan joins the ranks of notable departures. Preceding him were former South Mumbai MP Milind Deora, who embraced the Shiv Sena, and ex-MLA Baba Siddique, who found solace in the NCP.
Amidst the upheaval, Chavan remains coy about affiliating with the ruling BJP. He asserts his deliberative stance, expressing, “I haven’t taken any decision yet on joining the BJP, don’t know BJP’s working system.” The erstwhile Chief Minister insists on the personal nature of his departure, avoiding the tethering of any explicit rationale to it. Dismissing claims that a parliamentary white paper influenced his decision, Chavan maintains his autonomy in the choice to sever ties with the Congress.
Pressed on his future political trajectory, Chavan maintains a calculated silence, promising a resolution within the next two days. “I am not a person who would discuss the party’s internal matters publicly,” he avers, maintaining an aura of confidentiality. As the speculations about a potential BJP association linger, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis responds enigmatically, hinting at a queue of leaders from other parties eyeing the BJP fold, laying bare the disquiet within the Congress ranks.
