Mumbai, 12 Feb

In a setback to Congress ahead of Lok Sabha elections, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan on Monday quit the Congress, amid speculation that he is veering towards BJP.

In a letter to state Congress president Nana Patole, Chavan (65) said he was resigning as a primary member of the grand old party. He also submitted his resignation as an MLA to assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar.

Chavan’s exit from Congress comes days after senior Maharashtra Congress leaders Baba Siddique and Milind Deora quit the party.

Amid the buzz that Chavan will join the BJP, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis told reporters, “Aagey aagey dekho hota hai kya (wait and watch what happens”.

Chavan hails from Nanded district in Marathwada region. His father late Shankarrao Chavan was also the chief minister of Maharashtra.

Ashok Chavan stepped down as chief minister in 2010 for his alleged involvement in Adarsh housing scam in Mumbai. He was also state Congress chief during 2014-19.