Mumbai: Senior Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil finally resigned as an MLA on Tuesday, paving the way for his entry into the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He is expected to join the saffron party along with other Congress MLAs.
Vikhe Patil’s son Sujay had switched to the BJP from Congress and had contested Lok Sabha polls from Ahmedanagar, which he won with a margin of 2.81 lakh votes. Vikhe Patil had quit as Leader of Opposition in March, days after his son joined the BJP.
According to sources, Mr Vikhe-Patil held a meeting of disgruntled Congress MLAs at his residence, which was attended by Abdul Sattar, Jaykumar Gore and Bharat Bhalke. Later, he went to the legislature along with Mr Sattar and submitted his resignation to Assembly Speaker Haribhau Bagade at his office. “I didn’t even campaign for the party during Lok Sabha elections. I don’t doubt the high command. They had given me an opportunity by making me the Leader of Opposition. I tried to do good work but the situation made me resign,” said Mr Vikhe-Patil.
After submitting his resignation, he met the chief minister. According to sources, the closed-door meeting was to discuss Mr Vikhe-Patil’s role in the BJP after joining. There are reports that he will be inducted into the Devendra Fadnavis-led government as a Cabinet minister.
