The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has suffered a jolt ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly election, as party leader and former minister Laxman Dhobale joined the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) on Wednesday, October 23, in the presence of party Member of Parliament (MP) Supriya Sule.

Dhobale, a former guardian minister of Solapur district, was part of the undivided NCP before joining BJP, reported news agency ANI. 

Earlier, the chief spokesperson of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar-headed NCP, Umesh Patil, resigned from his post and met veteran politician Sharad Pawar at YB Chavan Centre in Mumbai. Patil submitted his resignation to NCP President Sunil Tatkare.

Meanwhile, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)- comprising the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), NCP (SP), and Congress- continue to negotiate the seat-sharing agreements, reported ANI. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, earlier in the day, assured that there is no difference among the alliance over seat sharing.

"There is no difference of opinion among us. There is no animosity. Everything is going well." Sanjay Raut said.

Exuding confidence over MVA's victory in the Maharashtra Assembly election, Raut said that Shiv Sena (UBT) will secure a century of seats as that the country wants them to win 100 seats.