Mumbai, Feb 12 (UNI) Former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan resigned from the Congress party's primary membership and his MLA post on Monday.
His resignation has been accepted by Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar.
There is a possibility that Chavan will join BJP on February 14 and he is likely to be nominated to the Rajya Sabha by BJP.
Sources said that Chavan will be sent to the Rajya Sabha as the BJP leaders are against giving him a ministerial post in the state cabinet.
He is likely to join BJP in presence of Amit Shah in a couple of days, when he is due to visit Maharashtra on February 15, sources said.
"If Ashok Chavan joins BJP, he is welcome," BJP state president Chandrasekhar Bawankule said and claimed that there is in-fighting and corruption in Congress.
Following resignation of Chavan, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made a suggestive statement saying, 'Agae agae dekho hota hai kya' (let us see what happens next).
Chavan had met Union Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president J P Nadda last week and held
discussions with them.
Meanwhile, talking to reporters here, Chavan said, "I have worked hard for Congress for last many years, but today I decided to quit the party."
When asked about his entry in BJP, he replied that he will decide on it in next two days.
Reacting to this development, former chief minister and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan said, "Ashok Chavan should tell people under what pressure he has decided to resign from the party. It is very unfortunate for party."
In a related development, senior Congress leader and former Maharashtra minister Mohammed Arif (Naseem) Khan refuted the media report that he is also quitting party, saying that he is a dedicated party worker and will continue to work with Congress.
Following Chavan's resignation, senior Congress leaders gathered at Khan's office to discuss further course of action.
UNI SP / AAA SS