Lok Sabha elections 2019: Sujay Vikhe Patil was welcomed into the BJP by Devedra Fadnavis.
In a setback for the Congress in Maharashtra, the son of the leader of opposition in the state today joined the BJP today. Sujay Vikhe Patil was welcomed into the BJP by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other senior leaders of the party in Mumbai.
Sujay Vikhe Patil, the son of senior Congress leader Radha Krishna Vikhe Patil, has been upset over not being fielded by the party from Ahmednagar which is considered the stronghold of the Vikhe Patil family, of which Sujay belongs to the fourth-generation.
Sujay Vikhe Patil is a practicing neurosurgeon.
The Congress has finalised its seat-sharing arrangement with Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra for the national election, party sources said. They are likely to bring smaller parties in their umbrella.
The NCP had turned down a request by Sujay Vikhe Patil's father to leave aside the Ahmednagar seat for his son.
Ahmednagar, about 120 km from Pune, was allotted to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in the last elections. Dilip Gandhi is the BJP's sitting lawmaker from the constituency.
The young politician, who had earlier said he would contest independently if he is not fielded by the Congress, had met BJP leader Girish Mahajan, news agency PTI reported.
His entry to the BJP was reportedly opposed by the party leaders at a meeting on Tuesday with Mr Fadnavis. The party leaders wanted him to work for the BJP before he represents the party in the election.
Maharashtra will vote in four phases next month, on April 11, 18, 23 and 29.