Veteran Politician Annasaheb Dange Returns to BJP Fold

Veteran Maharashtra politician Annasaheb Dange, known for his significant influence within the Dhangar community, rejoined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday. His return was marked by a warm welcome from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at a ceremony held at the BJP office in Mumbai.

Dange's political journey includes a tenure as a minister in the first Shiv Sena-BJP alliance government between 1995 and 1999. However, he spent the last two decades with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). His re-affiliation with the BJP is considered a major political development, especially due to his clout in Maharashtra's western district of Sangli.

At the welcoming ceremony, Fadnavis nostalgically recounted their past efforts in a campaign aimed at providing relief in water-scarce areas. The Chief Minister credited Dange's leadership with having a formative influence on his own political career during his early days in the BJP's youth wing.

(With inputs from agencies.)