Ahmednagar MLA quits Congress, set to join Shiv Sena

Mumbai: Newly-appointed state Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat received a jolt as a Congress MLA from his own Ahmednagar district quit the party on Sunday.

Bhausaheb Kamble has decided to join the Shiv Sena to contest the Vidhan Sabha polls from the Shrirampur constituency.

Mr Kamble had tendered his resignation as a MLA to Vidhan Sabha speaker Haribhau Bagde on Saturday. Later, he visited Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, who has reportedly assured him of an Assembly ticket.

Mr Kamble was accompanied by industries minister Subhash Desai and party MP Pratap Jadhav during the visit.

Mr Kamble was earlier a staunch supporter of former Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who is now with the BJP.

He had contested the Lok Sabha elections on a Congress ticket from the Shirdi constituency.

However, he was comprehensively defeated by Sena’s Sadashiv Lokhan-de.

Even in the Sangamner seat, which is a stronghold of Mr Thorat, he found himself trailing behind.

“It is necessary to be in power for the development of the constituency. I have decided to join Sena as the supporters were insisting that I should and the party has also assured me of a ticket during the Assembly elections,” said former Congress MLA from Ahmednagar.