Former chief minister Ashok Chavan quits Congress
New Delhi: In a setback to Congress ahead of Lok Sabha elections, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan on Monday quit the Congress, amid speculation that he is veering towards BJP.
In a letter to state Congress president Nana Patole, Chavan (65) said he was quitting the grand old party. He also submitted his resignation as an MLA to assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar.
Chavan’s exit from Congress comes days after senior Maharashtra Congress leaders Baba Siddique and Milind Deora quit the party.
He served as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra state from 8 December 2008 to 9 November 2010.
The Congress Party asked him to resign from office over corruption allegations relating to Adarsh Housing Society scam.
In the 2014 general elections, despite the allegations and anti-incumbency wave, he won the Lok Sabha election from his Nanded constituency with a comfortable margin.
He is the son of Shankarrao Chavan, a former Chief Minister of Maharashtra himself. They are the first father–son duo in the state’s history to become chief ministers.
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