After the first round of Opposition MLAs and its leaders joining the BJP on Wednesday, the next round of Oppositions leaders are likely to join the ruling party next week.
The majority of these name likely to be the North Maharashtra.
The names making the round from the Oppositions are of NCP ex MLA Rajvardhan Kadam Bande, independent MLA Shirish Chaudhari, Congress MLA Kunal Patil, ex-Congress MLA DS Ahir, Congress MLA KC Padvi, Congress MLC Chandrakant Raghuvanshi, and ex-minister and NCP leader Gulabrao Patil. Girish Mahajan, senior BJP minister who is orchestrating this operation said that the list of Opposition MLAs and leaders joining the BJP is long. "Initially, we thought that only 10-15 MLAs of the Opposition will join the BJP ahead of the state Assembly elections. But now I have a list of 50 MLAs and MLCs who are eager to join the BJP," Mahajan said.
He said that after the Wednesday entry even of Oppositions leaders, "I got a call from the Oppositions leaders that when their names will come. They want to join the BJP along with their party workers and loyalists. No one wants to miss the opportunity. Every day, I get the call for requesting to induct the BJP. Once our leadership gives the green signal to the list, we precede the talk and further procedure with these Oppositions leaders induction in BJP. We are checking the characters and public image of these Oppositions leaders before inducting them in BJP," Mahajan said.
