Three Nationalist Congress Party cross over to BJP; Sharad Pawar says 'he can handle such situations'

In a major jolt to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), party's three MLAs - Shivendra Raje Bhosale, Sandeep Naik, Vaibhav Pichad - joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The three MLAs joined BJP in presence of Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday. Maharashtra women wing president Chitra Wagh, who resigned from her post on July 27, also joined the Saffron party along with them.

Shivendra Raje Bhosale, Sandeep Naik, Vaibhav Pichad handed over their resignation letters to Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Haribhau Bagade on Tuesday.

On July 25, Ahir Joshi, Mumbai President of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had crossed over to Shiv Sena. 

 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.

Meanwhile, NCP chief Sharad Pawar remained unfazed and said he has experience of handling such situations. He extended his best wished to all those who have crossed over to other parties and said such situations arise in politics sometimes.


(With inputs from agencies)