Latching onto the growing chasm between senior BJP leader Eknath Khadse and his party, the Congress in Maharashtra on Wednesday gave him an open offer to join the party.
State Congress president and Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat said Khadse is welcome in the party fold provided he subscribes to the party ideology.
"Khadse is my old friend. We have been together in the Legislative Assembly since 1990. He was a competent leader of opposition. He is a leader with a mass base. If he accepts the Congress' ideology then he is welcome," Mr Thorat told reporters.
He was referring to Mr Khadse's claim that the Congress, one of the constituents in the Shiv Sena-led state government, had approached him with a nomination for the May 21 Legislative Council elections.
Mr Khadse had alleged that a clique of state BJP leaders scuttled his nomination for the polls.
Hitting back on Wednesday, state BJP president Chandrakant Patil said the party had given enough to Mr Khadse and that he can now serve as a consultant for young party leaders.
Party's Tie-Up With Ajit Pawar's NCP "Incompatible Marriage": BJP Leader Congress Launches 'Kharche Pe Charcha' Campaign Ahead Of Haryana Polls Tie-Up With Omar Abdullah's Party "National Compulsion": Congress J&K Chief Celebrated "Russian Spy" Whale Hvaldimir Found Dead In Norway: Report INDIA's "Hit With Footwear" Protest In Mumbai Over Shivaji Statue Collapse Nurse Molested By Patient During Late Night Shift At West Bengal Hospital PM's Shivaji Statue Collapse Apology Smacked Of Arrogance: Uddhav Thackeray Who Was Hersh Goldberg-Polin, US Citizen Who Was Killed By Hamas In Gaza UGC NET June Re-Exam 2024: Admit Cards For 4 Centers Released Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.