MLA Kalidas Kolambkar quits Congress to join BJP

Mumbai: In further trouble for Congress in Maharashtra, its MLA Kalidas Kolambkar quit the Assembly and the party on Monday to join the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Kolambkar, who is considered a close aide of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Narayan Rane, will join the saffron fold on Wednesday.

The legislator has been sending feelers for the time of Lok Sabha elections and was widely expected to switch the boat after senior leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil joined the BJP.

In March, he had said that he would support those who work. Kolambkar had removed the party signboard outside his residence and put Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis's portrait instead.

In April, he attended an NDA election rally and openly declared his plan to desert the grand old party.

"I am angry with the Congress party as no work could happen in my constituency. I will leave Congress and support those who work. I came here to listen to their speech. I used to come to Atal Bihari Vajpayee's speeches as well," Kolambkar had told ANI.

A senior in state Congress, Kolambkar has been a seven-time MLA. This is not the first time he will be switching his allegiance. Before joining Congress, he was with the Shiv Sena.