Congress-NCP leaders joining party for 'selfish reasons': Ex-BJP minister

Mumbai: Former Maharashtra minister Eknat Khadse on Sunday said the Congress-NCP leaders are not saints and they are joining the BJP for their selfish motives.

He also said that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has "washing powder" using which he "cleans" such leaders.

Khadse, who had stepped down as the state Revenue Minister in June 2016 over allegations of involvement in a land scam and other alleged acts of impropriety, was talking to reporters in Jalgaon.

"The leaders coming into BJP from Congress and NCP are not saints, but they are doing so for their selfish motives. However, Maharashtra chief minister has washing powder that cleans them completely so there will be no negative impact on the BJP's performance in the forthcoming assembly elections. People have their trust in the BJP," he said.

When asked about the large-scale ''recruitment'' by the BJP, he said, "There may be difference of opinion about certain leaders, but for strengthening the organisation, such induction should be welcomed."

Congress MLA Jaykumar Gore from Mann-Khatav segment in Satara, former NCP MP Dhananjay Mahadik, NCP MLA Rana Jagjit Singh Patil from Tuljapur assembly segment of Osmanabad district on Sunday joined the BJP in Solapur in the presence of Amit Shah.

When asked about a court in Dhule on Saturday sentencing former state ministers Suresh Jain and Gulabrao Deokar along with 46 others to varying jail terms after convicting them in the multi-crore ''Gharkul'' housing scam, Khadse said it was a "welcome" verdict.