Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 7 (HBTV): Former Shiv Sena Member of Parliament Rajendra Gavit rejoined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and state BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule in Mumbai on Tuesday and termed his rejoining as "Ghar Wapsi".   

"In 2018, I was a BJP MP. But Uddhav Thackeray asked me to join him saying he wanted the Palghar Lok Sabha seat. But when Shiv Sena was bifurcated, I joined the Eknath Shinde faction as MP. Now, when tickets were being given out for the 2024 elections, Devendra Fadnavis said that seeing my political experience, he wants me in the state government for the welfare of the tribal community," he said.   

"Even I thought that instead of going to the central government, I would be able to better serve my people by being part of the state government. This is my 'Ghar Wapsi'," Gavit added.  

Gavit's move comes days after the BJP got Palghar seat during the seat-sharing arrangement with Shiv Sena.   

The date of voting for the Palghar Lok Sabha Constituency is 20 May (Phase-5).

Gavit had joined the Shiv Sena in May 2019 and contested the elections from the Palghar constituency. 

The contest in Palghar is going to be a triangular fight. 

(ANI) This is a syndicated news feed. HBTV has edited it for clarity.