On Diwali, Former Mumbai Corporator Deals Major Blow To Congress With BJP Switch Before Maharashtra Polls

Ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections, Congress leader Ravi Raja defected to the BJP. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said more senior Congress leaders will follow.

As the Maharashtra Assembly elections draw closer, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) suffered another blow on Diwali with Congress leader Ravi Raja resigning and joining the Bharatiya Janata Party. Ravi Raja joined the BJP in the presence of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Mumbai BJP President Ashish Shelar was also present at the event. The BJP appointed Ravi Raja as the vice-president of the Mumbai unit.

Ravi Raja, one of the veterans of Mumbai Congress, was reportedly unhappy with the allocation of seats. He intended to contest the Sion Koliwada Assembly constituency in Mumbai, but the ticket was given to Ganesh Yadav, a close associate of Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad.

More Senior Congress Leaders Will Join BJP: Devendra Fadnavis

Soon after Raja's switch, Devendra Fadnavis said that several senior Congress leaders were queuing up to join the BJP. "Don’t ask me the names now; they’ll be revealed in due time," he said. Fadnavis added that the inclusion of Ravi Raja, who had played a key role in maintaining Congress’s presence in Mumbai, would greatly benefit the BJP in the Assembly elections.

BJP Leaning Towards Raj Thackeray's Son In Mahim

Fadnavis said the BJP is looking to support Raj Thackeray in Mumbai's Mahim seat. The seat is being contested by Raj Thackeray's son Amit Thackeray as well as BJP ally Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde). "We are exploring ways to support Raj Thackeray in the Mahim Assembly constituency. We are hopeful of reaching a resolution soon," he said.

On the opposition from North Indian communities towards Raj Thackeray over his alleged discriminatory stand towards people from the region, Fadnavis said: "We clarified during the Lok Sabha elections that Raj Thackeray has embraced the path of Hindutva." Raj Thackeray, in 2018, was reported to have said that North Indians did not have self-respect as they did not question their leaders over pertinent issues such as unemployment

This could be a problem for the BJP as one of its key allies, Nitish Kumar's JD(U) is against Raj Thackeray. In 2022, JD(U) spokesperson KC Tyagi said that the party was against Raj Thackeray and called him "Enemy No.1" of the North Indians. Moreover, with Shiv Sena's sitting MLA Sada Sarvankar contesting the Mahim seat, BJP throwing its weight behind Raj Thackeray could spell trouble for the Mahayuti.