Bharat Express

Ashok Chavan

Fadnavis said Chavan, when he was in the Congress, supported the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Expressway plan while his party colleagues at the time as well as leaders of the NCP and Uddhav Thackeray had opposed it.

In response to Chavan's exit, prominent Mumbai Muslim leader Baba Siddique characterized it as a wake-up call for the Congress.

The ex-president of the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee also asserted that if the party had addressed his grievances, he wouldn't have stepped down.

Congress insiders claim that Mr. Chavan's decision to switch sides may have been significantly influenced by his disagreements with state party president Nana Patole on the choice of candidates.