Eknath Khadse announces plans to rejoin BJP within the next 15 days

It is not official yet, but if he Khadse is joining BJP, we will welcome him as well, Fadnavis told reporters on Monday.Talking to reporters on Sunday, Khadse expressed his gratitude towards NCP SP chief Sharad Pawar for helping him in distress.Once among the tallest BJP leaders in Maharashtra, Khadse was relegated to political wilderness for almost five years before Pawar rehabilitated him in undivided NCP.I have decided to go back to the BJP as it is my home.

Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Eknath Khadse has said he would be returning to the BJP in a fortnight.

Khadse quit the BJP in 2016, after almost four decades in the party. He had first resigned as Maharashtra minister following allegations of irregularities in MIDC Bhosari land case.

In 2020, he joined the undivided NCP after alleging that Devendra Fadnavis was trying to finish off his political career.

Reacting to Khadse's decision, an NCP (SP) spokesperson said, "It will not make any difference to our party. It is not a big loss." "If anyone is joining BJP by reposing trust in PM Narendra Modi, we welcome them. It is not official yet, but if he (Khadse) is joining BJP, we will welcome him as well," Fadnavis told reporters on Monday.

Talking to reporters on Sunday, Khadse expressed his gratitude towards NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar for helping him in distress.

Once among the tallest BJP leaders in Maharashtra, Khadse was relegated to political wilderness for almost five years before Pawar rehabilitated him in undivided NCP.

''I have decided to go back to the BJP as it is my home. I have served the party for four decades. I express my gratitude towards Sharad Pawar who helped me during distress," Khadse said.

"I have spoken to BJP president J P Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. I will join the party in New Delhi in next 15 days. Once I get a call, I will visit Delhi,'' he said.

Last year, Khadse chose to side with Sharad Pawar when the NCP split after Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs joined the Eknath Shinde government.

On Sunday, state minister and BJP leader Girish Mahajan termed Khadse an ''extinguished lamp.'' "He is like an extinguished lamp. Even a gram panchayat is not in his hand. He used to control a bank, but the board of directors has also changed, and new board members do not listen to him,"Mahajan told reporters.

"His wife and daughter have lost elections in the past," said Mahajan, who has been Khadse's arch-rival in Jalgaon district of north Maharashtra.

Khadse, who was leader of opposition in the state assembly between 2009 and 2014, was a contender for the post of chief minister when the BJP came to power after the 2014 state assembly polls, but was beaten to the top post by Fadnavis.

Khadse's daughter-in-law Raksha Khadse is sitting BJP MP from Raver and is seeking a third term in the Lok Sabha in the upcoming elections.

His daughter Rohini Khadse is with NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar). In a post on X, she said she would not follow her father into the BJP and would remain with the NCP (SP).

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)