Nanded (Maharashtra), Feb 24 (IANS) Dealing another hit at the Congress, 55 ex-corporators of the Nanded-Waghala City Municipal Corporation here joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in the presence of two-time ex-Chief Minister Ashok S. Chavan, here on Saturday.

The Congress strongman of Nanded, Chavan joined the BJP just 10 days ago, was rewarded with a Rajya Sabha ticket and declared elected unopposed.

The NWCMC elections of 2017, held under Chavan's stewardship, saw the Congress make a clean sweep by bagging 73 of the 81 seats to control this important civic body.

In his brief address to 55 ex-municipal corporators, Chavan said that they have chosen the BJP for their faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and vision for development.

"They also want to be a part of the political mainstream and contribute towards progress," said Chavan.

Local party leaders hinted that besides the lot of 55 which quit Congress, many other important district leaders are likely to throw their lot with BJP in the coming weeks.

The Congress suffered three big 'leaks' in the past couple of months starting with Milind S. Deora who joined the ruling Shiv Sena, ex-Mumbai MLA Baba Z. Siddique quitting for the ruling ally Nationalist Congress Party, and Chavan who entered the ruling ally BJP, with speculation of more switch-overs in the near future.