Ex-home minister Shivraj Patil's daughter-in-law joins BJP

Archana Patil, the daughter-in-law of senior Congress leader and former Union home minister Shivraj Patil joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

She joined the BJP in the presence of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the BJP's state unit president Chandrashekhar Bawankule in Mumbai.

Shivraj Patil, who hails from Latur in Marathwada region of Maharashtra, was Union home minister during the United Progressive Alliance-I government, but stepped down in the wake of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

Prior to that, he had also served as the Lok Sabha Speaker.

Speaking on the occasion, Fadnavis said Archana Patil has been associated with social work and her joining the BJP will help the party in Latur and the Marathwada region.

The move is also being viewed as the BJP's efforts to bolster its prospects in the Marathwada region.

Last month, former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan, a heavyweight hailing from Nanded region of Marathwada, also joined the BJP.

Archana Patil said she has been associated with social work for the last two decades and decided to choose the BJP for politics.