Former Congress stalwart Ashok Chavan on Thursday that his decision to join the Bharatiya Janata Party was fueled by a desire for better opportunities and a belief in the BJP’s burgeoning influence on both the national and state levels.

“I thought there are better prospects here (in BJP),” Chavan told ANI, articulating his rationale behind the switch.

“Be it the national scenario or the state, BJP’s graph is increasing day by day. Better opportunities lie there.”

The seasoned politician, who has served as the chief minister of Maharashtra and held key positions within the Congress party, expressed his disillusionment with the current state of affairs within Congress.

“There is no readiness in Congress,” he lamented. “So, in such a situation, people think that they either sit at home or lose (elections) or look for another option to win. So, I think the winning alternative is BJP.”

Chavan quit Congress earlier this week and joined the BJP the next day, dealing a major blow to the grand old party in Maharashtra amid a flurry of exits, including three-time former MLA from Bandra (West) Baba Siddique and two-time former Lok Sabha MP Milind Deora. Chavan was later named as BJP’s candidate from Maharashtra for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.

Notably, both Chavan and Deora lost the 2019 Lok Sabha election on their home turf while Baba Siddique lost the assembly elections held that year.

Congress’ Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala hit out at Chavan for quitting the party to join the BJP, saying he was supposed to fight, but he chose to leave the battlefield instead. He also hit out at the BJP for opening its doors to those against whom it had levelled charges of corruption.

Responding to Chennithala’s remarks, Chavan said, “Congress has given everything to Ashok Chavan and Ashok Chavan has also done a lot of things for the Congress. It is both ways.”

“Ashok Chavan had given the majority of 82 MLAs as the CM in 2010 and brought the government back in Maharashtra after 26/11,” he added, referring the ghastly Mumbai terror attack in 2008.

“I did my best, nobody can doubt my integrity & credibility as far as the party is concerned. So, I have no complaints but one does feel that services need to be recognised.”