Lok Sabha Elections 2019: BJP’s Sanjay Kakade to join Congress in hope of ticket

Kakade was unhappy with the BJP after the party indicated to him in clear terms that he would not be getting a ticket this elections

Sanjay Kakade, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) associate member and Rajya Sabha MP, announced his decision to join the Congress on Sunday, the day the Lok Sabha election dates were announced in New Delhi.

Sanjay Kakade, Bharatiya Janata Party associate member and Rajya Sabha MP, announced his decision to join the Congress on Sunday.(HT PHOTO)

Kakade, a businessman, who is keen to contest the Lok Sabha polls on a Congress ticket from Pune, spent the weekend in the capital, where he met various Congress leaders and expressed his willingness to fight the polls from Pune.

Senior Congress leaders, according to sources, insisted he first join the party before his name was considered.

“The party leaders in Delhi, who I met during my visit to the capital, have welcomed the move. Considering the changed atmosphere in the country, I have decided to join the Congress. I am ready to fulfil whatever responsibility the Congress party gives me,” said Kakade.

Kakade was unhappy with the BJP after the party indicated to him in clear terms that he would not be getting a ticket this elections.

On numerous occasions, Kakade expressed his unhappiness about local BJP leaders, including district guardian minister Girish Bapat.

Pravin Gaikwad to join Congress

Pravin Gaikwad, a member of the Peasant and Workers party, also announced his decision to join the Congress. Gaikwad, a former Sambhaji brigade president, who is angling for the Pune ticket, said, “There are many changes that Rahul Gandhi has made in this party. Considering these changes, I have decided to join the Congress,” said Gaikwad.

Gaikwad’s name was originally, ‘allegedly’ proposed for the Pune seat by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, though the party later denied this.

With Kakade and Gaikwad’s names doing the rounds for the Pune seat, party loyalists have publicly expressed disappointment and urged the leadership to consider a loyalist party member’s name; among these are Mohan Joshi, Abhay Chhajed and Arvind Shinde, all of whom are keen to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Pune on the Congress ticket.