In a setback to the Congress ahead of the Maharashtra civic polls, Pradnya Satav on Thursday joined the BJP hours after she tendered her resignation from the upper house of the Maharashtra state legislature as a member of the Legislative Council (MLC).
Pradnya Satav joined the saffron party in the presence of Maharashtra BJP chief Ravindra Chavan and Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankula.
Satav, wife of the late Rajiv Satav, a Congressman and close confidant of Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. He hails from Hingoli district in Marathwada region of the state.
On Wednesday, Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal said that Pradnya Satav was in solitary confinement.
After her husband’s death, Satav served as the vice-president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee.
She was first elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Council in 2021.
She was nominated to the Legislative Council in July last year and her mandate was to end in 2030.
Reacting to the development, Congress spokesperson Pooja Tripathi said, “Personally as a Congress worker, I am heartbroken to join the BJP Pradnya Satav. When I joined the party after returning to India, I heard everyone talking about Rajeev Ji’s unwavering commitment to party values and voters – not that I wanted a Gandhian legacy that I emulated after Padedytra I. Dandi and I thought, that it’s a great idea that can gain power, but it erodes trust and a relationship that has long been built on mutual respect and empathy!
According to reports, Satav submitted her resignation to the legislature secretariat after speaking to Legislative Council Speaker Ram Shinde.
Apart from Satava, former MLA from Solapur district Dilip Mane also joined the BJP.
Elections to the 29 municipal corporations in the state will be held on January 15 and the votes will be counted the next day.
