Mumbai: Archana Patil Chakurkar, the daughter-in-law of former Lok Sabha Speaker and Congress leader Shivraj Patil, made headlines on Saturday after she officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Her decision to switch political affiliations comes as a significant development in Maharashtra’s political landscape.
Archana Patil, who currently serves as the chairperson of Lifecare Hospital and Research Centre in Udgir, cited her admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiatives, particularly the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, as a driving factor behind her decision to join the BJP.
She expressed her belief that the BJP’s ideology resonated with her and emphasized her commitment to working at the grassroots level with the party.
“I have joined BJP to work in the political sphere. I was greatly influenced by the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam brought by PM Modi. It gives equal opportunity to women,” said Archana Patil during the formal event marking her induction into the BJP.
Furthermore, Archana highlighted her past experience of working at the grassroots level in Latur and expressed her intention to continue this work with the BJP. She clarified that despite her husband Shailesh Patil Chandurkar being a state secretary of the Congress, she was never officially associated with the party.
Archana’s decision to join the BJP was preceded by a meeting with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at his official residence ‘Sagar’ in south Mumbai. The timing of her entry into the BJP coincides with her initial plan to join the party alongside former state minister Baswaraj Murumkar, an aide of Shivraj Patil. However, the plan was postponed due to her daughter’s wedding.
Shivraj Patil’s tenure as Union Home Minister from 2004 to 2008 under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government adds a notable backdrop to Archana Patil’s entry into the BJP. Her decision underscores the ongoing political realignments in Maharashtra and the BJP’s efforts to expand its base in the state.
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