In a bid to improve its prospects in Western Maharashtra, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is looking to get two prominent Congress-NCP politicians in its fold – Congress’s Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and NCP’s Vijaysinh Mohite Patil.

Vikhe Patil is the Opposition Leader in Maharashtra Assembly, while Mohite Patil is the sitting MP from Madha in Solapur district. Vikhe Patil’s son Sujay is the BJP candidate in Ahmednagar, and Mohite-Patil’s son Ranjitsinh has also joined the party. BJP insiders said the two leaders are likely to join the BJP in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally at Ahmednagar and Madha (in Solapur) on April 12 and 17, respectively.

A senior BJP leader said the move is a part of the BJP’s pre-emptive operation in western Maharashtra region, which was once the stronghold of the Congress and NCP. The two Opposition parties are trying to recover their lost ground in the region and the BJP aims to counter it. As it does not have strong leaders in the region, it has been admitting prominent functionaries from both the opposition parties.

Western Maharashtra has 12 seats, of which 8 were won by the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance in the 2014 general polls. The NCP managed to win 4, while the Congress lost all five seats it contested. The two Opposition parties are looking to win a few of the eight seats that went to the ruling parties.

To improve its chances, the BJP has already admitted Sujay Vikhe Patil and Ranjitsinh Mohite Patil. It has also poached on the Congress to pick its Satara district chief Ranjitsinh Naik Nimbalkar, who is now its candidate in Madha. It is also wooing Congress MLA from Satara district Jaikumar Gore who is close to a former chief minister of the party. Gore on Wednesday participated in a public meeting for BJP candidate in Madha to express his support.

Vikhe Patil has been staying away from the Congress-NCP’s poll campaign for about a month since his son joined the BJP. He has been campaigning for his son, who is a BJP candidiate in Ahmednagar. The NCP has already made a written complaint to state Congress chief Ashok Chavan in this regard.

Vikhe Patil had blamed NCP chief Sharad Pawar for his son’s decision to join the BJP as the latter had refused to part with the Ahmednagar constituency, which is with the NCP in the poll pact with the Congress. According to his close aides, Vikhe-Patil had made up his mind to quit the party and is waiting for the appropriate time. “He was in a dilemma whether to join the BJP now or after the Lok Sabha elections. Initially, he wanted to take a decision after the Lok Sabha results. However, the BJP leaders insisted that he join the party at the earliest,” said a close aide of the leader. Besides, he had become an untouchable in the Congress after his son’s defection to the BJP. “Nobody trusts him in the party,” the aide added.

Mohite Patil is likely to join BJP officially during Modi’s rally at Madha in Solapur district on April 17. His son and former MP Ranjitsinh Mohite Patil has already joined the ruling party, but could not get the LS seat. “Vijaysinh is barely interested in being active in politics anymore, although he could have been offered the post of the governor by the BJP. His son is insisting that he join the party,” a NCP leader from Ahmednagar said.

Educational and cooperative institutions run by Mohite Patils are in financial trouble and are facing action. According to the NCP leaders, the leaders joined the ruling party to avoid the legal action.

Both the leaders refused to speak on the issue.

Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said, “Vikhe Patil is very much in the party. It is a rumour that he is quitting the party and joining BJP.”

A section of state Congress is upset over the inaction against Vikhe Patil despite his anti-party activities. “It is a clear case of anti-party activities as Sujay Vikhe Patil’s entire campaign is being spearheaded by him,” said a senior party leader.

Meanwhile, the NCP said it doesn’t give much importance to Mohite Patil’s defection to BJP. “I don’t think party is affected anyway,” said NCP spokesperson and coordinator for Ahmednagar constituency Ankush Kakade.

Congress spokesperson Sawant refused to comment on Gore.

Vikhe Patil may also choose to share dais with the PM without officially joining the party leaving it to the Congress take action against him for anti-party activities. If the party initiates action against him, it may lose the post of leader of opposition as its tally drops to the number of the MLAs of NCP. Maharashtra Legislature has monsoon session scheduled in June and it will be the last session before the state goes for the Assembly polls in September-October. According to the party leaders, the Congress high command is expected to replace him before the monsoon session.

First Published: Apr 11, 2019 00:09 IST