Ex-BJP MP Nana Patole joins Congress; Ashok Chavan says 'too early' to pick candidate for Bhandara-Gondia bypoll

Mumbai: Former BJP MP Nana Patole has formally joined the Congress, Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan announced on Thursday. Patole met Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Delhi on 4 January, Chavan said. However, when asked if Patole will be the party’s candidate for Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha by-election, Chavan said, “We have not yet taken a call on this. It’s too early to comment.” [caption id=“attachment_4271825” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Nana Patole. News18[/caption] The decision on candidate will be taken after the by-election’s schedule is announced, the Congress leader said. The by-election became necessary after Patole, who represented the seat, resigned. When contacted, Patole said that he joined the Congress on 4 January. “I will abide by the party’s directives,” he said when asked if he was going to contest the by-election. Patole, a former Congressman, had joined the BJP on the eve of the Lok Sabha polls in 2014 and contested from Bhandara-Gondia, defeating NCP heavyweight Praful Patel. Patole quit the BJP and the Lok Sabha membership in December, 2017 citing the state and Central government’s “anti-farmer policies”.