Former Union Minister Suryakanta Patil resigns from BJP
Mumbai: Former Union Minister Suryakanta Patil has resigned from the primary membership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).“I have learned a lot in the last 10 years, I am thankful to the party,’’ she said after quitting.
Patil, who joined the BJP in 2014 after leaving the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, made the announcement shortly after the party's disappointing performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections.
Patil, a four-time MP from the Hingoli-Nanded constituency and once an MLA, had sought BJP's nomination for the Lok Sabha elections in Marathwada's Hingoli constituency but did not receive the ticket. Expressing dissatisfaction on social media following the decision, she had been allocated the role of poll chief for the Hadgaon Himayatnagar assembly constituency during the general elections.
The seat-sharing arrangement saw the Hingoli seat being allocated to Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, a decision that likely contributed to Patil's departure from the BJP.
The Shiv Sena had lost the Hingoli seat to the Uddhav Thackeray led faction.
Patil has represented the Hingoli-Nanded constituency four times as MP and once as MLA. She was the minister of state for rural development and parliamentary affairs during the UPA government.
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BJP will form govt in Bengal with thumping majority: Nabin
Mirzapur (UP) (PTI): BJP president Nitin Nabin on Wednesday voiced confidence that his party will form the government in West Bengal with a "thumping majority".
Polling is underway for 142 constituencies in the second and final phase of the West Bengal assembly elections, covering key districts, including Kolkata, Howrah and North and South 24 Parganas.
The high-stakes contest is being seen as decisive for the ruling TMC's bid for a fourth consecutive term and the BJP's push to form its first government in the state. The first phase held on April 23 recorded a high voter turnout of over 93 per cent, reflecting intense electoral engagement.
Speaking to reporters in Mirzapur, Nabin said, "The BJP will form the government in Bengal. We are winning the elections with a massive majority."
Earlier in the day, the BJP chief visited the Vindhyavasini temple and offered prayers. The rituals were conducted by his priest Acharya Agastya Kumar Dwivedi.
On his first visit to the district after assuming office, Nabin was welcomed by party workers at several places. At the temple, he was received by city MLA Ratnakar Mishra and District Magistrate Pawan Kumar Gangwar, who felicitated him with a traditional 'angvastram'.
After offering prayers for about 10 minutes amid Vedic chants, Nabin held a meeting at a hotel with local MLAs, including Mishra, Majhwan MLA Suchismita Maurya and Madihan MLA Ramashankar Patel.
Patel said Nabin emphasised strengthening the organisation and asked public representatives to focus on serving people in their respective constituencies.
Several party leaders, including district president Lal Bahadur Saroj, district vice-president Gaurav Umar, municipal chairperson Shyam Sundar Kesari, women workers and senior officials, were present on the occasion.
Elaborate security arrangements were put in place by the district administration for the visit, with multiple officers of circle officer rank deployed, officials said.
