Watch: Ashok Chavan Calls Ashish Shelar as 'Mumbai Congress President' in Faux Pas After Joining BJP

Old habits die hard and Ashok Chavan, who switched camp from the Congress to the BJP yesterday, became proof of it on Tuesday by mistakenly referring to Mumbai Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Ashish Shelar as “Mumbai Congress President” while he was being in inducted into the saffron party.

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister had a slip of the tongue minutes after joining BJP while he was addressing media and party workers gathered to welcome him into the party fold.

The faux pas left earned a round of laughter from BJP supporters and Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also corrected Chavan’s mistake.

Chavan promptly corrected his error and said, “I have just joined (the BJP). Hence, the mistake. I am starting a new journey of my political life by joining the BJP after 38 years in the Congress.”

He said he joined the BJP as he was impressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s work with the slogan of ‘Sabka saath, sabka vikas’. “Sometimes, I was accused of not opposing him (PM Modi. But I have always done positive politics. When I was in the Opposition, I never made any personal remarks. We even praised each others’ good work. I will work as per the directives of the party,” he said.

On what he aspires to do in the BJP, he said. “I must say that I worked with a developmental and positive attitude so far. When Fadnavis was in the Opposition and I was the chief minister of Maharashtra, we supported each other. Wherever I have lived, I have worked honestly for the party. I will see how I can increase the BJP’s seats in Maharashtra. I will definitely contribute to it as per my strength.”

Chavan, the son of former CM Shankarrao Chavan, tendered his resignation from the Congress on Monday, giving a jolt to the grand old party ahead of Lok Sabha elections.

Chavan’s exit from the Congress came days after senior Maharashtra Congress leaders Baba Siddique and Milind Deora quit the party. Chavan had stepped down as the chief minister in 2010 for his alleged involvement in the Adarsh Housing scam in Mumbai. He was the state Congress chief during 2014-19.

He represented the Bhokar assembly seat and is also a former MP from the Nanded Lok Sabha constituency.

Chavan’s faux pas brings back the memory of a similar incident when after switching to BJP, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, while campaigning in Dhabra for Lok Sabha by-polls, had a slip of the tongue and asked voters to vote for ‘Panja’ (Hand).