Sunil Deshmukh quits BJP, returns to Congress

Deshmukh, a radiologist, was a minister in the erstwhile Congress-NCP Democratic Front government

In a ghar-wapsi of sorts, veteran politician from Vidarbha, Dr Sunil Deshmukh, on Saturday left the BJP to return to the Congress.

Dr Deshmukh (63), a radiologist, was a minister in the erstwhile Congress-NCP Democratic Front government, serving under the late Vilasrao Deshmukh and Ashok Chavan.

Dr Deshmukh joined the Congress in presence of party’s Maharashtra unit president Nana Patole and former chief minister, ex-Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, AICC secretary HK Patil and Minister for Women and Child Development Yashomati Thakur, the Guardian Minister of Amravati.

He is a three-time MLA from Amravati - he was elected in 1999, 2004 and 2014.

Dr Deshmukh had quit the Congress after the party high command in 2009 denied a ticket to him and fielded former President Pratibha Patil’s son Raosaheb Shekawat instead.

His return to the Congress gains significance as he is an important senior leader from Vidarbha, the bastion of Leader of Opposition and former CM Devendra Fadnavis.