Former Gondia MLA Gopaldas Agrawal returns to Cong from BJP

Veteran leader from Vidarbha region, Gopaldas Agrawal, rejoined the Congress on Friday after spending five years in the BJP. Soon after joining, Agrawal said that he made a mistake and is ready to compensate the party with the help of the people of his constituency in the upcoming elections

MUMBAI: Veteran leader from Vidarbha region, Gopaldas Agrawal, rejoined the Congress party on Friday after spending five years in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Soon after joining, Agrawal said that he made a mistake and is ready to compensate the party with the help of the people of his constituency in the upcoming elections. The party is likely to nominate the three-term MLA from Gondia as its candidate in the coming assembly elections.

Former Gondia MLA Gopaldas Agrawal returns to Cong from BJP

“In the last 14 assembly elections held in Maharashtra, Congress has won Gondia constituency 11 times. In the last elections, the party lost because of my mistake, but in the coming elections, it will be compensated with interest by the people of Gondia,” Agrawal said, while addressing a large crowd in Gondiya that had gathered to mark his re-induction back in the Congress fold.

Both the Maharashtra in-charge of the Congress, Ramesh Chennithala, and the state president, Nana Patole, were present on the occasion, along with other senior leaders of the party.

In the run-up to the last assembly elections, Agrawal had joined BJP and contested the polls from the seat but was defeated by BJP rebel Vinod Agrawal by a margin of 27,169 votes.

“Five years ago, I joined the BJP with high expectations and commitment to the development of this region. However, it was the BJP’s own workers who worked towards the party’s defeat. Nevertheless, in these years, I have worked diligently and with full loyalty to the BJP,” he said.

Before Agrawal, former BJP MP, Shishupal Patle, joined Congress last month. He had become a giant killer after defeating the then union minister of state for civil aviation (independent charge), Praful Patel, in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. In 2009, he, however, failed to retain the seat.

Cong Nanded MLA meets Nitin Gadkari

Meanwhile, Congress MLA Mohan Hambarde met union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday evening giving rise to speculations. Hambarde represents Nanded South assembly constituency and is considered to be a close aide of former Congress chief minister Ashok Chavan, who joined BJP in February this year. Hambarde was allegedly among the seven MLAs who were involved in cross voting in the MLC elections. Since then, there have been speculations that he may leave the party.

Hambarde, however, said that he met Gadkari to discuss issues related to his constituency. “I met Gadkariji at his Nagpur residence with a request to construct an underpass on the national highway that passes through my constituency as it will help in reducing road accidents.”