Maharashtra: 1 Congress, 3 Nationalist Congress  MLAs to join BJP today

In a major blow to the opposition parties in Maharashtra, four Nationalist Congress Party MLAs and one Congress lawmaker, who submitted their resignations to the Speaker on Tuesday, are likely to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday, reported news agency ANI.

NCP MLAs Vaibhav Pichad, Sandeep Naik and Shivendra Raje, and Congress legislator Kalidas Kolambkar handed over their resignation letters to Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Haribhau Bagade.

Soon after the resignation of four MLAs, senior BJP leader and Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan claimed that more than 50 MLAs of the Congress and NCP want to join his party ahead of the Assembly elections in the state later this year.

"Many people are excited to join BJP. There are more than 50 MLAs of Congress and Nationalist Congress Party who want to join BJP. But we also have some limitations. We cannot admit everyone," he was quoted as saying. 

Kolambkar quit Congress on Monday and announced his decision to resign from the House forthwith.

Assembly elections in Maharashtra are due in October, 2019.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday alleged that the Central government was pressuring MLAs from Opposition camp to join BJP.