Mumbai, July 1 (IANS) Congress on Tuesday received a major setback after party MP Rahul Gandhi’s close confidant and former legislator Kunal Patil from Dhule Rural, Maharashtra, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in the presence of Revenue Minister and party’s state unit chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule and working president Ravindra Chavan.

Patil, the son of veteran Congress leader Rohidas Patil, represented Dhule (Rural) after winning from the constituency in the 2014 elections. However, in the 2024 polls, he lost to the BJP nominee Ram Bhadane.

Kunal Patil had tendered his resignation from the Congress party’s primary membership on Monday.

Patil’s move comes days after former legislator Sangram Jagtap from Bhor constituency in Pune district joined the BJP, citing “neglect” from the Congress.

Incidentally, Rahul Gandhi had visited Kunal Patil’s father and former minister Rohidas Patil at his residence when he was unwell in March last year.

Gandhi also made him speak to his mother and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, over the phone.

Patil had participated in Gandhi’s Bharat Jodi Yatra.

Patil recently met the state BJP working president Ravindra Chavan. Thereafter, he chose to part ways with the Congress and join the BJP to start his new innings.

After joining the BJP, Patil showered praise on Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, saying that the latter has a positive approach and believes that the region can be turned into a big industrial hub, which will change the lives of the locals.

“Time has come to think more about others than myself,” Patil said while defending his decision to quit Congress and join the BJP.

Patil said, “Today is an important and historic moment. It is a difficult time for me and the workers and office bearers. I am joining the BJP along with a host of Congress workers. It is true that a Congress member is joining the BJP, leaving behind a tradition of three generations and 75 years. Chudaman Anna Patil (Kunal Patil’s grandfather) was known as the MP who bagged record votes in 1962 during the Jawaharlal Nehru craze. He served as a Lok Sabha member for 25 years. My father became an MLA in 1978, and he was the state Assembly member till 2009. The generation before me has set a tradition of development, and there is a huge responsibility on me to continue that tradition.”

Patil further stated that while in Congress, he worked hard for the party’s growth.

“We have been loyal to the Congress party for 70 years, now it is difficult to switch from that party to another party. However, this decision has to be taken for the development in our area. Since childhood, we saw that Congress is our party and we should remain loyal to Congress. Congress is in our blood. We grew up with this kind of feeling. I also contested the Assembly elections for the first time in 2014. People elected me with a very large number of votes,” he added.

–IANS

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