Former Maharashtra Medical Education Minister Vijaykumar Gavit, who faces charges of wealth accumulation by him and his family members in a disproportionate assets case, will join the BJP tomorrow.
The announcement was made by BJP's Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Eknath Khadse, who also declared that former BJP legislator Dilip Yelgaonkar who had joined NCP, returned to the BJP today.
Asked for BJP's stance on corruption allegations against Gavit and former Maharashtra minister Babanrao Pachpute who joined the party yesterday, Khadse said, "So far, these are only allegations. We will expel them from the party the day the charges are proved in a court or by a SIT." The BJP leader made this statement when it was pointed out that his party had levelled corruption allegations against Gavit and Pachpute when the two leaders, who then belonged to NCP, were ministers in the state government.
Responding to a question if the BJP would field Gavit and Pachpute for the ensuing assembly polls, Khadse said, "Any decision regarding candidature is taken by the BJP parliamentary board".
Gavit was sacked from the Maharashtra cabinet earlier this year after his daughter Heena Gavit accepted a BJP Lok Sabha ticket to contest from Nandurbar and went on to win the election.
It is a matter of concern that Maharashtra is reeling under a huge debt burden of Rs 3.10 lakh crore, former Maharashtra state finance minister Eknath Khadse said.
Khadse alleged that the Maharashtra state government is not providing financial aid to Dalit ashramshalas.
