Pradnya Satav’s BJP Switch Stuns Congress
Late leader Rajeev Satav’s widow quits Congress, cites development agenda under Modi–Fadnavis
- Pradnya Satav resigns as MLC, joins BJP
- Move shocks Congress given Rajeev Satav’s close ties with top leadership
- Congress had twice accommodated her in Legislative Council
- BJP likely to renominate her as MLC
GG News Bureau
Mumbai, 19th Dec: The exit of Congress leaders to the BJP may no longer be unusual, but Pradnya Satav’s decision to quit the party has come as a major shock within Congress ranks, particularly because of her late husband Rajeev Satav’s proximity to the party’s top leadership.
Pradnya Satav, widow of former Congress MP and senior leader Rajeev Satav, resigned as a Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council on Thursday before formally joining the Bharatiya Janata Party. Her move has surprised many in the Congress, as the party had consistently accommodated her despite its shrinking political strength in the state.
Following Rajeev Satav’s death due to Covid-related complications in 2021, the Congress high command had insisted on rehabilitating Pradnya Satav politically. She was first nominated to the Legislative Council and later given a full six-year term, with the leadership overlooking other aspirants within the party.
Explaining her decision, Pradnya Satav said she wished to fulfil her late husband’s dream of developing Hingoli under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
“I want to realise Rajeev Satav’s dream of developing Hingoli under the leadership of Deva Bhau, with the motto of sab ka saath, sab ka vikas, sab ka vishwas, sab ka prayas,” she said.
She added that party workers had been urging her to join the BJP and become part of what she described as the development-oriented governance model of the Centre and the state. BJP sources indicated that she is likely to be re-nominated to the Legislative Council.
Rajeev Satav was considered a rising leader in the Congress and shared a close relationship with Rahul Gandhi. After his death, Rahul Gandhi had described him as a leader of “huge potential who embodied the ideals of the Congress,” while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had called him “one of our brightest colleagues.”
A former National President of the Youth Congress and in charge of the Gujarat Congress, Rajeev Satav played a key role in the party’s improved performance in the 2017 Gujarat Assembly elections. His mother, Rajni Satav, also served as a Congress MLA.
Reacting to Pradnya Satav’s exit, senior Congress leader Nana Patole said the development was “not proper,” adding that the party was unaware of what had been offered to her by the BJP.
The defection adds to the Congress’s challenges in Maharashtra, where it continues to lose leaders to the BJP ahead of key political battles.
