Mumbai: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis Saturday made an open invitation to NCP MP Udayanraje Bhosale to join the BJP, to which, the Satara MP said that he would soon take a decision keeping the people’s welfare in mind.

“It will be up to Mr Bhosale to decide whether he wants to join the BJP. But I will definitely be glad if he joins the BJP,” the chief minister said in Bhusawal.

“Mr Bhosale has been in the NCP for several years. However, the Congress-NCP government failed to carry out development works in Satara. After Mr Bhosale approached us, we approved the national highway and also several irrigation projects,” he said.

Mr Bhosale, too, said that he would soon take a decision keeping the people’s welfare in mind. “Many of my development works were delayed earlier. But Mr Fadnavis has managed to expedite several of them. I have friends in several parties. But it doesn’t mean I will join his party. I will take a decision only after keeping the people’s welfare in mind,” he said.

The CM’s overture comes at a time when Mr Bhosale has been refuting reports of him exploring the possibility of joining the BJP. According to sources, he may quit as MP and seek re-election from Satara on a BJP ticket.

A few days ago, Mr Bhosale called on Mr Fadnavis at the latter’s residence Varsha, seeking aid for the flood-affected people in Kolhapur, Satara and Sangli. However, he clarified that there was no political motive behind his visit.

Readers may recall that during the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP made an offer to Mr Bhosale to contest from Satara on its ticket.

However, NCP chief Sharad Pawar managed to convince him to stay put in the NCP. With the NCP now witnessing a series of defections, Mr Bhosale is said to be weighing his options.