Palghar MP and Shiv Sena leader Rajendra Gavit rejoins BJP

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 7 (ANI): Former Shiv Sena MP Rajendra Gavit rejoined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and state BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule in Mumbai on Tuesday and termed his rejoining as "Ghar Wapsi".
"In 2018, I was a BJP MP. But Uddhav Thackeray asked me to join him saying he wanted the Palghar Lok Sabha seat. But when Shiv Sena was bifurcated, I joined the Eknath Shinde faction as MP. Now, when tickets were being given out for the 2024 elections, Devendra Fadnavis said that seeing my political experience, he wants me in the state government for the welfare of the tribal community," he said.
"Even I thought that instead of going to the Central government, I would be able to better serve my people by being part of the state government. This is my 'Ghar Wapsi'," Gavit added.
Gavit's move comes days after the BJP got Palghar seat during the seat-sharing arrangement with Shiv Sena.
The date of voting for the Palghar Lok Sabha Constituency is 20 May (Phase 5).
Gavit had joined the Shiv Sena in May 2019 and contested the elections from the Palghar constituency.
The contest in Palghar is going to be a triangular fight.
The three key candidates in Palghar are Hemant Savara of BJP, Bharti Kamdi of Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), Rajesh Patil of Hitendra Thakur-led Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (VBA).
Meanwhile, Maharashtra recorded the lowest voter turnout of 53.95 per cent in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections which were held today, according to the latest data issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
In this phase, more than 1300 candidates, including around 120 women, are in the fray. A total of 17.24 crore voters are eligible to cast their franchise in this phase at 1.85 lakh polling stations.
The Lok Sabha elections are being held across seven phases, from April 19 to June 1. The counting is scheduled for June 4. (ANI)