In a major setback for the Congress in north Maharashtra, former Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Kunal Patil on Tuesday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Patil, who hails from Dhule, is a third-generation politician of Congress loyalists and was also considered close to former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi.
He is also the son of the late Rohidas Patil, who served as the Maharashtra minister. Patil asserted that his switch to the BJP was made with the backing of his supporters.
“There is no pressure on me to join the BJP. I come from a tradition of public service. My supporters and voters have supported my decision. I am joining the BJP to serve the people more effectively,” Patil told reporters after being welcomed into the BJP by senior leaders Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Ravindra Chavan, and Girish Mahajan.
Patil has served two terms as a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) before losing the state poll in November 2024.
His departure is seen as a major blow for the Congress, considering his family’s deep-rooted legacy within the party. His father Rohidas held several key portfolios in successive Congress-led governments and was widely respected across party lines. Last year, Gandhi had visited an ailing Rohidas Patil at his residence in March and facilitated a phone conversation between him and former party president Sonia Gandhi.
Patil`s grandfather, Chudaman Patil, was a three-time Member of Parliament from the Dhule Lok Sabha constituency, serving between 1962 and 1971.
Reacting to the defection, Maharashtra Congress President Harshvardhan Sapkal criticised Patil’s decision, calling it “self-sabotaging”.
“Patil`s decision is self-harming. The BJP cannot nurture its own cadre into leadership roles, which is why it is stealing leaders from other parties. Kunal Patil comes from a proud Congress legacy. His father and grandfather were both prominent Congress figures who held key posts. They would be deeply hurt by this decision,” Sapkal said.
Leader of the Congress Legislature Party, Vijay Wadettiwar, also responded to the defection and said, “Whoever wants to leave the Congress is free to do so. We will continue to work hard and strengthen the party in Maharashtra.”
Patil`s exit comes on the heels of another high-profile defection in April, when former Pune MLA Sangram Thopte, also a Congress loyalist, switched allegiance to the BJP—further highlighting the growing attrition within the Congress’s traditional ranks.
(With PTI inputs)
