Talking to UNI on Tuesday, Ghatge said the main reason for quitting the Shiv Sena and joining the Congress is to defeat his traditional rival group led by former MP and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sadashivrao Mandalik and Hasan Musriff.

The decision was taken in the interest of local politics and to avoid the division of votes which might in turn benefit the rival groups, he said and added that the decision was taken after consulting his supporters.

Ghatge also thanked Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray and other Sena leaders for extending their cooperation during his stay in Sena.

Ghatge was in Sena's first Assembly candidates list that was announced recently. Ghatge, who was formally with the Janata Dal leader, shifted to the Shiv Sena and won theKagal assembly seat last year. He defeated the then United Congress candidate Musriff. Ghage's defection to the Congress comes as a setback to the Shiv Sena, as earlier Nivedita Mane, who had unsuccessfully contested last Lok Sabha election from Ichalkaranji constituency, left the party to join the NCP recently. Industrialist-turned-politician MLC Madhavrao Mahadik, who became MLC with Shiv Sena-BJP support, also recently joined the NCP along with Kolhapur Zilla Sahakari Dudh Utapadak Sangh chairman Arun Narke.