In a jolt to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) ahead of assembly polls in Maharashtra, its minister in state government Sanjay Savkare and party legislator Kisan Kathore joined BJP in Mumbai today.

Leader of Opposition in Assembly Eknath Khadse announced that the two were being inducted into the BJP. Khadse said, both the leaders have a strong following in their constituencies and BJP will benefit from it in the October 15 polls.

Savkare, who represents Bhusawal Assembly seat in north Maharashtra's Jalgaon district, was Minister of State for Agriculture. Kathore represents Murbad in Thane district.

Speaking to media persons in Mumbai today Savkare said that he decided to quit NCP because of local issues in his constituency. He said that his supporters were angry over certain things and wanted him to join BJP. The two are the latest in a long list of NCP leaders to join BJP in the last few days.

In a setback to the NCP, several of its senior leaders, including former Union Minister of State Suryakanta Patil, late S B Chavan's son-in-law and former MP Bhaskarrao Patil-Khatgaonkar Former NCP leader from Sangli Ajit Ghorpade, had recently joined the BJP.