Rebel leaders to return home to Congress

As the Congress wins three cow-belt and heartland states, BJP MLAs and leaders who had left the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra are likely to flock back to their parent parties ahead of 2019.

According to sources in the Congress and NCP, there are more than 25 BJP MLAs and leaders who are in touch with the Congress leadership. "Besides, there are some of the disgruntled BJP leaders who also wants to change the side ahead of 2019 elections. These leaders felt that their party has not given their due respect despite working hard for the party for last several years," said sources in Congress requested anonymity.

Maharashtra sends 48 the largest numbers of the member of parliaments after Uttar Pradesh. Currently, the BJP has got 22 MPs, Shiv Sena has 18 MPs, NCP has got 5 while two from Congress in Maharashtra.

Maharashtra Congress President Ashok Chavan confirmed that there are several BJP MLAs and few of the Shiv Sena leaders who are in touch of them. "Many of them already met me and expressed their desire to work with the Congress party. And, we do not have problem while taking them back in Congress fold because earlier they worked with the Congress party. The wind has changed and they got the sense of it. The things are going against the BJP. We are confident to win the Maharashtra and centre as well," Chavan said.

The BJP MLAs and leaders who are unhappy with the BJP are includes BJP MLA Vijay Kumar Gavit and his daughter BJP MP Hira Gavit, BJP MLA Manda Mhatre, BJP MLC Vinayak Mete, BJP Sanjay Savkare, BJP leader Babanrao Pachpute, senior BJP Eknath Khadse, BJP MLA Bharati Lavekar, BJP MP Sanjay Kakade, Shiv Sena minister Arjun Khothkar, BJP MLA Anil Gote etc.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar has himself taking the task of brining back these disgruntled BJP and Sena leaders into the NCP fold ahead of 2019 elections. As a part of Pawar recently met the Swabhiman Paksha president and former chief minister Narayan Rane who likely to join the hand with NCP. Besides, MNS Chief Raj Thackeray will be also made the alliance partner of Congress and the NCP who will help them to get more seats and review himself in Mumbai and its peripheral locations.

"Former BJP MLA Apurav Hire joined the NCP along with his father former minister Prashant Hire. In the coming days, more such leaders from BJP are follow the suit. Now, the flocking of these BJP leaders towards NCP and Congress will speed up after the sounding victory in these three heartland states. This election has proved that there is agrarian crisis and farmers, Dalit, minority, labours are not happy with this incumbent BJP government. So, in Maharashtra, we will surely come back in power," said NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik.

Malik said that people are fed up with the tall and empty promises of the BJP. "The power had gone in the head of the BJP leaders. And this defeat of BJP in three states is defeat of the arrogance of power. The same history will be repeated in Maharashtra as well," Malik said.