Archana Patil, daughter-in-law of senior Congress leader and former Union home minister Shivraj Patil, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. She made the move in the presence of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and BJP state unit president Chandrashekhar Bawankule in Mumbai.
Shivraj Patil, originally from Latur in Maharashtra’s Marathwada region, served as Union home minister during the UPA-I government and had also previously held the position of Lok Sabha Speaker. He stepped down following the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
Fadnavis stated that Archana Patil’s background in social work will benefit the BJP in Latur and the wider Marathwada region. The development is seen as a strategic move by the BJP to strengthen its position in Marathwada.
Last month, former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan, a prominent figure from the Nanded region of Marathwada, also joined the BJP.
Expressing her commitment to social work, Archana Patil highlighted her decision to enter politics with the BJP after two decades of engagement in social causes.