In a significant development, former Congress MLA Ravindra Dhangekar is likely to join the Shinde faction. This move could deal a major blow to the Congress, which is already struggling to regain its foothold in Maharashtra.

Dhangekar, a former MLA from Pune’s Kasba constituency, had met with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in Mumbai. Sources suggest that Dhangekar’s decision to join the Shinde faction is almost final.

Dhangekar had defected from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) to the Congress and had won the Kasba by-election. However, he lost the subsequent assembly election to BJP’s Hemant Rasane.

The development is seen as a significant setback for the Congress, which is already struggling to regain its foothold in Maharashtra.