Mumbai, Dec 18 : In a blow to the Maharashtra Congress ahead of the crucial municipal elections, Legislative Council member Pradnya Rajeev Satav on Thursday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Satav, the widow of late senior Congress leader Rajeev Satav -- who was known as a close confidant of Rahul Gandhi -- joined the BJP at a high-profile ceremony at the BJP headquarters in Mumbai. The move is being seen as a strategic win for the BJP in the Marathwada region, particularly in Hingoli.

Earlier in the day, she resigned from the primary membership of the Congress and also stepped down as a member of the Legislative Council.

In a statement after joining the BJP, Satav said: "I want to work for the development of my region under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. My decision is based on the vision of progress for Maharashtra."

She was first elected unopposed to the Legislative Council in a by-election following the death of Congress MLC Sharad Ranpise. Her term concluded on July 27, 2024. She was re-elected for a second term in July 2024 for a six-year tenure that will end in July 2030.

Sources close to Satav said she had been feeling "marginalised" within the local unit of the Congress in Hingoli for several months.

Reports indicate that she was unhappy with the lack of administrative support and the rising influence of rival factions within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). Reacting sharply, Congress Legislature Party leader in the state Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar termed the move a "moral and political betrayal".

"This is not just a betrayal of the Congress party, but a betrayal of the ideology and loyalty that the late Rajeev Satav stood for throughout his life," he said.

Wadettiwar further said that the party had stood firmly by Pradnya Satav after her husbandâ??s tragic demise.

"The Congress party gave everything to Pradnya Satav. She was made an MLC unopposed and appointed State Vice President. Choosing power over principles just before municipal elections reflects poorly," he said.

He also alleged that she had ignored the deep bond her family shared with the Gandhi family.

"People who leave the party that gave them their identity just for the sake of power will be taught a lesson by the voters. The soil of Hingoli will never forgive this backstabbing," Wadettiwar added.

Political analysts believe the defection could weaken the Congress in the Marathwada belt at a time when Maharashtra is gearing up for elections to 29 municipal corporations, including Mumbai, Thane and Nashik.

For the BJP, the induction of a member of a family long associated with the Congress leadership is being viewed as a major symbolic victory aimed at demoralising the Congress cadre.

/IANS