Mumbai: In a shot in the arm of BJP in Latur in Marathwada region, senior Congress leader and former Lok Sabha Speaker Shivraj Patil Chakurkar’s daughter-in-law Dr Archana Patil Chakurkar joined the saffron party inspired by the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Dr Archana Patil joined the BJP in presence of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and state unit President Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Saturday.
Last month, senior Congress leader and state unit’s working President Basavaraj Patil Murumkar (66), a two-time MLA joined the BJP. He had worked closely with Shivraj Patil.
“I have been associated with social work. I have worked with Shivraj Patil Sahab…I am joining the BJP for taking up the cause of women and inspired by the leadership of Modi,” said Dr Archana Patil.
Shivraj Patil had been a seven-time MP from Latur and was Lok Sabha Speaker, Minister of State for Defence in the Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi headed Congress governments and the Home Minister in the Dr Manmohan Singh -led UPA government. After that he was appointed Governor of Punjab.
Dr Archana Patil is the chairperson of Lifecare Hospital and Research Centre in Udgir and her husband Shailesh Patil Chakurkar is state secretary of the Congress.
“I have worked at the grassroots level in Latur, and I will work at the grassroots level with the BJP also. I was never officially in the Congress. I joined the BJP because its ideology has a great influence on me,” she said.
Published 30 March 2024, 09:49 IST