Maharashtra Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil is reportedly said to join the BJP after Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take oath for his second term on 30th May.
Patil had resigned as the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in the run-up to Lok Sabha elections. He hadn’t said anything about his next political course. He reportedly met Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan at the latter's official bungalow in Mumbai on Tuesday morning to thank Mahajan for his support in ensuring his son Sujay's victory from Ahmednagar Lok Sabha constituency.
"I openly campaigned for my son who contested as a BJP candidate. So, the action was taken against me. Denial of a ticket to my son was an injustice. This shows the policy of the Congress," he charged.
Patil also cleared out that he had not resigned as an MLA but also that he isn’t in touch with any MLAs.
Regarding his plans on joining BJP, Patil said that nothing has been decided as of now. He claimed that he had met Mahajan, who also holds a medical education portfolio, earlier over the Maratha reservation issue. He added that he runs a medical college and had discussed with Mahajan the issue of the court scrapping the Maratha quota for medical courses.
Mahajan, who is believed to be a close confidant of Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, clarified that Vikhe Patil's entry into the BJP will be unconditional.
When asked if Patil might be inducted into the state Cabinet, Mahajan said that is the prerogative of the chief minister.
He also added that many MLAs of the Congress and the NCP are in touch with the BJP.
"Nobody wants to be with the Congress and the NCP now. But we too have limitations on inducting new entrants," he said also stating that not more than 60 MLAs of the Congress and the NCP will get elected in the upcoming Assembly elections.