<p class="title">Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLC Ramrao Wadkute and former party MLA Bapu Pathare joined the BJP on Tuesday, ahead of the next week's Maharashtra Assembly polls.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Wadkute, a prominent Dhangar (shepherd) community leader from Marathwada region, was appointed member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council in June 2014 from the governor's quota.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He submitted his resignation on Monday evening to Legislative Council Chairman Ramraje Nimbalkar who immediately accepted it.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Pathare is a former MLA from Pune.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Both Wadkute and Pathare were inducted into the BJP in Mumbai on Tuesday in the presence of the party's working president J P Nadda.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Wadkute, a native of Parbhani district in Marathwada, was earlier chairman of the Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Sheli-Mendhi Vikas Mahamandal (Goat and Sheep Rearing Development Corporation) before being appointed as the MLC.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Polling for all 288 Assembly seats in the state will be held on October 21 and counting of votes will take place on October 24.</p>
<p class="title">Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLC Ramrao Wadkute and former party MLA Bapu Pathare joined the BJP on Tuesday, ahead of the next week's Maharashtra Assembly polls.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Wadkute, a prominent Dhangar (shepherd) community leader from Marathwada region, was appointed member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council in June 2014 from the governor's quota.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He submitted his resignation on Monday evening to Legislative Council Chairman Ramraje Nimbalkar who immediately accepted it.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Pathare is a former MLA from Pune.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Both Wadkute and Pathare were inducted into the BJP in Mumbai on Tuesday in the presence of the party's working president J P Nadda.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Wadkute, a native of Parbhani district in Marathwada, was earlier chairman of the Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Sheli-Mendhi Vikas Mahamandal (Goat and Sheep Rearing Development Corporation) before being appointed as the MLC.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Polling for all 288 Assembly seats in the state will be held on October 21 and counting of votes will take place on October 24.</p>