KOLHAPUR: State

president and Pune guardian

on Thursday said that several

and NCP MLAs, including one of the five working presidents of the Maharashtra Congress, were eager to join the BJP before the assembly elections this year.

Addressing a press conference in Solapur, Patil said these MLAs would be accommodated in the party at an appropriate time. “The MLAs would first quit their respective positions before joining the BJP. You will soon know who they are,” he said.

The newly-appointed BJP chief said that a few Congress and NCP leaders from Solapur district were also in touch with the saffron party but refused to disclose names.

Patil said that the entry of the newcomers would not affect the careers of the existing members.

Patil is considered to have played a vital role in bringing several Congress and NCP leaders of western Maharashtra into the BJP before the recent Lok Sabha elections.

He had also facilitated the entry of powerful Congress-NCP leaders in constituencies such as Satara, Sangli, Madha, Kolhapur and Hatkanagale. The BJP-Sena had won five out of six seats.

Newly-appointed working president Vishwajeet Kadam said he would never join the BJP. There were rumours that it was Kadam, a Congress leader from western Maharashtra, who would be joining the BJP soon.