As expected, Sujay Vikhe Patil defected to the BJP on Tuesday, after the Congress failed to convince the NCP to let him contest for the Ahmednagar Lok Sabha seat. As mid-day had reported yesterday, Sujay's father Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Congress stalwart and Opposition leader in the Assembly, had requested the party high command to ask ally NCP to facilitate his son's candidature from Ahmednagar. However, the NCP refused to entertain the Vikhe Patils.

Sujay was left with no option but to make the BJP his new abode at a grand function at MCA Pavilion, Wankhede Stadium. The BJP declared that Sujay would be fielded from Ahmednagar, replacing sitting MP Dilip Gandhi.