Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil resigns as Congress MLA in Maharashtra; 10 more likely to join the suit

Mumbai, June 4:  Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil today moved up resigning as a member of legislative assembly saying that the situation made him to do so. He submitted his resignation to the Speaker of the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha, ahead of the assembly polls in the state and met CM Devendra Fadnavis later. 

 

"I didn't even campaign for the party during Lok Sabha elections. I don't doubt the high command; they had given me an opportunity by making me the Leader of Opposition. I tried to do good work but the situation made me resign," Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil said.

 

 

Earlier in the month of April, there were rising speculations of him joining the Bharatiya Janata Party following the footsteps of son Sujay Vikhe Patil, who won the Lok Sabha polls from Ahmednagar constituency in Maharashtra.

 

Along with Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, former minister, Abdul Sattar has also quit the Congress, confirming that he will join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Sattar further has claimed that at least 8-10 MLAs from Congress will also join the BJP soon.

 

“The state leadership from Congress has destroyed the party. 8 to 10 Congress MLAs are in touch with BJP. Disappointment with Congress leadership in state and their way of functioning are the reason behind our decision", Sattar said while resigning.

 

The development has come a few weeks after Congress's poor performance in the Lok Sabha Elections and months before the Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2019. The current developments are likely to dent the Congress's bid in the Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2019. In the Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra, the BJP-Shiv Sena combine won 41 of the 48 seats, NCP won four of them leaving one for Congress.