Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil was leader of opposition in Maharashtra till he joined the BJP in June
The Bombay High Court today refused to quash the appointment of Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and two others as ministers in the BJP-led Maharashtra government but said such appointments made for political gains was not morally correct.
A division bench of Justices SC Dharmadhikari and GS Patel in its judgment noted that after the Lok Sabha elections held this year, the BJP got majority votes which might have inspired leaders from other political parties to join the party.
The bench dismissed a petition challenging the appointment of Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, NCP-turned Shiv Sena leader Jaydutt Kshirsagar and Republican Party of India (Athawale) or RPI (A) leader Avinash Mahatekar as ministers in the Devendra Fadnavis-led government in the state.
Mr Vikhe Patil, who was the leader of opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly till he joined the BJP and the ministry, was inducted as the housing minister in the Devendra Fadnavis cabinet in June.
"The ministers have been inducted in the state assembly merely for political gains and convenience. We do not endorse this. What has been done may strictly not be morally correct and may have been a political plot but we cannot hold that the ministers defected and are disqualified," the court said.