Ashok Chavan, the former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, tendered his resignation from the primary membership of the Congress party on Monday. Chavan submitted his resignation to Nana Patole, the president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, and noted his former MLA designation in the letter. A prominent political figure, Chavan served as the MPCC president and Lok Sabha MP from 1987 to 1989, later being re-elected in May 2014. Additionally, he held key positions in the Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress Committee from 1986 to 1995.
Chavan, a three-term member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, was the Chief Minister of the state from December 8, 2008, to November 9, 2010. He faced corruption allegations related to the Adarsh Housing Society scam, leading to his resignation from office. Although elected from the Nanded constituency in the 2014 general elections, he lost the seat in 2019 to Pratap Patil Chikhalikar of the BJP.
Hailing from a notable political family, Chavan is the son of Shankarrao Chavan, a former Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Union Home Minister. His departure marks the third significant exit from the Congress party in Maharashtra, following Milind Deora and Baba Siddique. When asked about Chavan’s potential move to the BJP, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis gave a cryptic response, hinting at ongoing discussions with leaders from various parties interested in joining the BJP. Chavan, representing Bhokar, Nanded as an MLA, was rumored to have strained relations with state party chief Nana Patole.