India, April 9 -- In a fresh jolt to the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP), Raje Samarjeetsinh Ghatge, a descendent of Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, along with other party leaders in Kolhapur district returned to the BJP on Wednesday. Ghatge joined the ruling party in the presence of state BJP president Ravindra Chavan and senior minister Chandrakant Patil. He had joined the NCP (SP) ahead of the 2024 assembly elections.

Ghatge on Wednesday said the process for rejoining the BJP began in November last year when he entered into an alliance with his arch-rival, NCP minister Hasan Mushrif, for the local body elections. "This was done following the intervention of CM Fadnavis, who is like an elder brother to me," he said. Ghatge had contested from the ...