In a significant political development that has sent shockwaves through the opposition ranks, Congress Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) Pradnya Satav switched to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday, December 18, 2025. The move, coming just ahead of crucial civic body elections in Maharashtra, is seen as a major blow to the Congress party's morale and its numerical strength in the state's Upper House.
A Personal and Political Shock
The defection is particularly stinging for the Congress because Pradnya Satav, 49, is the widow of late Congress MP Rajeev Satav, who was considered a close confidant and trusted aide of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi. Hailing from Hingoli in the Marathwada region, her resignation as MLC and immediate induction into the BJP reduces the Congress's tally in the 78-member Maharashtra Legislative Council to just six members.
Senior Congress leaders interpreted the move as a targeted strike against Rahul Gandhi's leadership. One leader stated that the defection was orchestrated not just to harm the party numerically but to project an image that Gandhi's close associates are becoming unreliable, thereby damaging his credibility and potentially sowing distrust within his circle.
The Legacy of Rajeev Satav and Pradnya's Ascent
Rajeev Satav was a rising star within the Congress, having served as the national president of the Youth Congress and as the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Gujarat. Under his stewardship, the Congress put up its strongest performance in decades in the 2017 Gujarat Assembly polls, winning 77 seats and restricting the BJP to 99. His untimely death due to Covid-19 in 2021 at age 46 was a personal loss for Rahul Gandhi, who fondly remembered him during the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
Following her husband's demise, Pradnya Satav was elected as a Congress MLC in 2021 at the behest of the party high command and was also appointed vice-president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee. In July 2024, the party renominated her, an OBC leader, for a full six-year MLC term, even sidelining a Muslim leader to ensure her safe passage. However, she reportedly struggled to emerge as a strong face in Marathwada due to local factionalism and infighting.
BJP's Welcome and Political Calculus
The BJP rolled out a red carpet for Satav at its state headquarters in Mumbai, where she joined in the presence of state party president Ravindra Chavan and revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule. In her remarks, Pradnya Satav refrained from criticising the Congress, instead stating that her decision was to "fulfil the dream of my late husband Rajeev Satav" and to continue his development work for Hingoli.
BJP leaders framed her move as being inspired by the development agenda of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The party also sees her induction as reinforcing its commitment to OBC welfare and social justice in the state. BJP insiders indicated plans for her "political rehabilitation," likely with a renomination to the Legislative Council, and believe her crossover signals growing disenchantment within Congress ranks and trust in Modi's leadership.
The Congress, meanwhile, has accused the BJP of "breaking parties with money and posts" and undermining democratic norms. This defection follows the recent switch of ex-MLA Bhaurao Patil-Goregaonkar to the BJP, highlighting the ongoing turmoil within the Maharashtra Congress unit as it gears up for important electoral battles.
