'Baseless': Cong's Ashok Chavan denies rumours of him joining BJP

Amid rumours of political defection, Senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan on Saturday cleared the air on speculations over him quitting Congress terming it "baseless."

"All the speculations of me joining the BJP are baseless, said senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan on Saturday.

Ashok Chavan met Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday during his visit to a Ganesh Utsav. The two were seen at BJP strategist Ashish Kulkarni's residence at the same time. The meeting has led to speculation about Ashok Chavan joining the BJP.

While speaking to ANI, Ashok Chavan said that it was just a coincidence that he met Maharashtra Deputy CM at Ashish Kulkarni's residence.

"I am in Delhi now and will be attending the "Bharat Jodo" rally in Ramleela Maidan on Sunday. All the speculations about me joining the BJP are baseless. I just happened to be at Ashish Kulkarni's place when he (Fadnavis) arrived," Chavan said.

Ever since Congress won only one seat out of ten in the MLC elections of Maharashtra, there has been a strong buzz that several MLAs of Maharashtra Congress are in touch with the BJP and are likely to switch sides soon.

Congress leaders like Prithviraj Chavan and Chandrakant Handore accused that a few Congress MLAs cross-voted during the MLC polls since then many leaders including Chavan are also under the scanner.

Notably, Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) candidate from Congress Chandrakant Handore had lost in the MLS polls.

Maharashtra Congress Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat also denied the reports of the possible resignation of Ashok Chavan.

"Ashok Chavan is completely devoted to the Congress and he is currently engaged in all the necessary preparations regarding the Congress's Bharat Jodo Yatra. Whatever news is being spread about him is not true," Thorat said.

Speaking on the same, state Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that whatever I had to say, I have said in the assembly and everyone knows the condition of Congress.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi slammed Bharatiya Janata Party and said that BJP has come up with a model of fifty thousand crores.

"The opposition leaders are being pressurised by the central agencies like ED, CBI that we saw in West Bengal and due to the same model our leader Sanjay Raut has also been put behind the bars. BJP wants to run the government on the basis of the same model. As far as Chavan's resignation from the party is concerned, he has clarified his stand on the speculations," Chaturvedi said.

(ANI)

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