Fadnavis claims politicos are queuing up to join BJP

Several leaders and workers from other political parties are in a queue to join the BJP, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Thursday.

“Just wait and watch...let me tell you several leaders are enthusiastically queuing up to join the BJP," Fadnavis said at the state BJP headquarters after welcoming Thane leader Niranjan Davkhare after he quit the NCP and resigned as an MLC.

Niranjan's father, the late Vasant Davkhare - a veteran NCP leader from Thane-Palghar belt and a close aide of NCP supremo Sharad Pawar - was a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council for nearly two decades and had also been its deputy chairman.

"I am feeling very sad to leave the NCP. I had witnessed the birth and growth of NCP along with my father. But I am totally fed up with the local intra-party politics," Niranjan had said while leaving the party. However, the NCP stated that he was expelled from the party.

Another NCP legislator and Mathadi labour leader Narendra Patil is also likely to crossover to the BJP.

Amid the developments, Fadnavis said: "Around 30 years ago, the BJP was a small party. It slowly grew to be as big as it is today... What Maharashtra has achieved in the past four years was never seen in the earlier two decades."

Fadnavis said people have faith in the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "That's why people want to join BJP," he added.