Only he can say about his return to BJP: Union minister on father-in-law Eknath Khadse

Mumbai, Aug 22 (PTI) Union Minister Raksha Khadse on Thursday said only her father-in-law and former NCP MLC Eknath Khadse can disclose his plans on rejoining the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Eknath Khadse, one of the stalwarts of the BJP, was forced to resigned as minister in the Devendra Fadnavis government in 2016 over alleged corruption charges. He was denied a ticket by the BJP in the 2019 assembly polls. Khadse quit the party in 2020 and joined the (undivided) Sharad Pawar-led NCP.

Khadse had resigned as NCP MLC in April this year amid strong speculation that he was joining the BJP again, but nothing has moved on the front since.

Speaking to reporters on future plans of her father-in-law, Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development Raksha Khadse said, "Only Nathabhau (as Eknath Khadse is popularly known) can speak about his timing to return to the BJP." Eknath Khadse, a prominent Other Backward Classes leader, is credited with expanding the BJP's influence in rural areas of Maharashtra and is often hailed for his adeptness in legislative procedures. PTI ND BNM