Defections ahead of polls are an inseparable part of Indian politics. Leaders switch sides either because of resentment against the party they are part of, or because they see better prospects in the party that they choose to join. One such leader, Eknath Khadse, who is apparently not happy with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), seems to have issued a veiled threat to the party leadership, that he should not be taken for granted.

Another leader, Dr Sujay Vikhe-Patil, an emerging one, who seeks a Congress ticket from Ahmednagar, told the media that it was not compulsory for him to stick to his father's party. Sujay is the son of opposition leader in the Assembly and Congress veteran, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, who wants the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to vacate its claim on a seat to facilitate his son's candidature from the Congress. If the demand is not met, Sujay may join the BJP, said sources close to the family.