Pradnya Satav.
Credit: X/@SATAVRAJEEV
Mumbai: In what could be a major political setback coinciding with the local bodies elections in Maharashtra, late Rajiv Satav’s wife Dr Pradnya Satav may quit Congress to join the BJP.
Pradnya is currently a Congress MLC, a position that she got after her husband Rajiv’s death during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Rajiv was close to Congress leadership including Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul Gandhi, currently an MP from Rae Bareli and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and her daughter and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi.
In fact, Rajiv, who was an MP from Hingoli from 2014-19 and died on 16 May 2021 was part of the core team of Rahul Gandhi.
Dr Pradnya was made an MLC - and as of now she is the only woman Congress legislator in the Maharashtra Legislative Council.
She was elected in 2021 in by-elections and later in 2024 and her term runs till 2030.
Congress group leader in Legislative Council Satej Patil told a TV channel: “The Congress party has given Pradnya Satav a position as an MLC. I don’t think Pradnya Satav will take such a step and the news is baseless. Personally, I don't think she will take any such step,” he said.
Pradnya could not be contacted for her reactions.The BJP leadership has refused to comment.