WATCH: Maharashtra ex-CM Ashok Chavan’s slip of tongue after joining BJP; promptly corrected
WATCH: Maharashtra ex-CM Ashok Chavan’s slip of tongue after joining BJP; promptly corrected
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday (Feb 13), a day after leaving the Congress party, but his gaffe during the presser grabbed more headlines than what he said.
Chavan said in the afternoon “today around 12-12:30, I am going to start a new journey of my political career, I am going to join BJP” which came as a big setback to his former party ahead of the upcoming general elections in the country.
During the press conference, Chavan mistakenly addressed Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar as Mumbai Congress chief, which led to laughter from Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and others present there. Fadnavis then rectified the error.
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After the error, Chavan acknowledged the mistake and said it happened because of his long-standing allegiance to the Congress party. The 65-year-old leader hails from Nanded district.
He remarked, “It’s a slip of the tongue. This marks my inaugural day at the BJP headquarters, and I request you to excuse me.”
Chavan, who served as the chief minister of Maharashtra twice earlier, quit the Congress on Monday, in a jolt to the grand old party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Chavan, who is the son of the former Maharashtra chief minister and union home minister SB Chavan, has spent nearly four decades in Congress. He said that today signifies the commencement of his fresh political journey.
The move to join BJP came amidst speculation that he might be given the Rajya Sabha nomination.
He also addressed the issue raised by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut regarding the Adarsh scam as he defended himself, stating, “The Bombay High Court’s decision favoured me. I view it as a political mishap. Although certain agencies have contested the court’s ruling, I have endured enough and consider it a non-issue now.”
The former CM and Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray has also raked up the Adarsh housing scam to target Chavan and said on Monday that if the BJP sends him to the Rajya Sabha, it will amount to disrespecting martyred soldiers.
(With inputs from agencies)