In a “ghar-wapsi” of sorts ahead of the State Assembly polls to be held later this year, the ruling BJP on Friday suffered a jolt as three-time former MP and its leader from Gondia in Vidarbha region Gopaldas Agrawal quit the saffron party and joined the Congress.  

Agrawal, who has tendered his resignation from primary membership to BJP President JP Nadda a few days, returned to the Congress at a function held in the presence of AICC general secretary Ramesh Chennithala, state Congress President Nana Patole, Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar and former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan.

Agrawal, who had won the Gondia seat in 2004, 2009 and 2014 for the Congress, had switched over to the BJP ahead of the 2019 State Assembly polls. In what came as a boost to the Congress, Agrawal staged a comeback to the Congress.

Agrawal’s exit from the the comes as  a blow to the BJP in Vidhabha region from where Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, state BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari hail.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP had put up a miserable performance   as it managed to win just one out of 10 seats in Vidarbha region.

Welcoming Agrawal back into the Congress, Chennithala said: “The people of Vidarbha have always supported the Congress. We welcome Gopal Aggarwal back to the Congress. We are confident that the people of Vidarbha would support us in the State Assembly polls”

Slamming the BJP for giving entry to all the corruption-tainted leaders,  Chennithala said:  “The government in Maharashtra is most corrupt.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused Ajit Pawar of  involvement in a staggering Rs 70,000 crore scam, yet the BJP not only welcomed him but also made him the deputy chief minister. The BJP-led alliance runs an ayaram gayaram government in Maharashtra. The  people of the state have made up their mind to show it the door to the BJP in the state Assembly polls.

Accusing the BJP of indulging in false propaganda against Congress Rahul leader, Patole said: “Rahul Gandhi has all along spoken about removing 50 per cent on reservations so that all sections of society can benefit from the reservations. On its part, the BJP government sold off public institutions, destroyed jobs, and weakened constitutional bodies, which Rahul Gandhi has exposed. That is why the BJP is spreading false propaganda against him. The accusation that Rahul Gandhi is against reservations is like `the pot calling the kettle black’ “