Sushilkumar Shinde.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Mumbai: In a statement that led to a storm in Maharashtra politics, veteran Congress leader Sushilkumar Shinde said that he was offered to join the BJP not once but twice despite back to back defeats in Lok Sabha polls.
However, the 83-year-old, a veteran of Solapur politics, said that he was a committed Congressman.
Last year, Shinde had announced his retirement from active politics and named his daughter Praniti Shinde (42) to contest the Solapur Lok Sabha seat.
At a function at Akkalkot in Solapur, Shinde spoke about the offer from the BJP. “Despite being defeated in Lok Sabha elections twice (in 2014 and 2019), the BJP offered me and my daughter to join…but how can it be possible? We have grown in the lap of our mother (Congress)…at this age how can I join another party,” said Shinde.
However, Shinde did not specify when the alleged offer from the saffron party came.
“We have not given any offer to Shinde,” said state BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule.
A Gandhi-family loyalist and a veteran Dalit leader, Shinde had served in various capacities including being the minister in the Dr Manmohan Singh-led UPA government where he held important portfolios like Home and Power.
He had also served as Governor of undivided Andhra Pradesh.
Shinde’s daughter Praniti, who is a three-term MLA from Solapur City Central, instead would be contesting the Solapur Lok Sabha seat.
Shinde is a veteran of Solapur politics - having represented the Lok Sabha seat three times - 1998, 1999 and 2009.
In 2004, Shinde was the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.