5 sitting MLAs, including 3 Sena men, join Congress

Five sitting MLAs, including three from Shiv Sena and a former NCP MLA, joined Congress on Tuesday ahead of Assembly elections in Maharashtra next month.

Five sitting MLAs, including three from Shiv Sena and a former NCP MLA, joined Congress on Tuesday ahead of Assembly elections in Maharashtra next month.

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All the five sitting MLAs had defeated NCP candidates in 2004 elections.

The five sitting MLAs are Vinayak Nimhan, Manikrao Kokate and Rajendra Raut (all from Sena), Kolhapur independent MLA Sate alias Bunty Patil and Sadashiv Patil from Khanapur Assembly constituency in Sangli.

Former NCP MLA Kisanrao Jadhav from Ausa also joined Congress in the presence of Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and MPCC president Manikrao Thakre.

Union Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who is also the election campaign committee chief, former Union minister Shivraj Patil and state Industries minister Narayan Rane were also present on the occasion.

The three Sena MLAs are supporters of Rane.

Chavan said this was a good omen for the party ahead of the October 13 Assembly elections.

Meanwhile, members of the state election committee meeting of Congress here today interviewed over 1500 aspirants from 108 constituencies. The interviews would continue over the next two days.