Ravi Raja, a senior Congress leader and former Opposition Leader of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday. After being denied a Congress ticket to run in the Sion Koliwada constituency in Maharashtra Elections 2024, the five-term corporator switched parties.

Raja's decision to leave the Congress is noteworthy because he has been a key player in both the party and Mumbai's civic body. His BJP induction was headed by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Mumbai BJP President Ashish Shelar, who welcomed him to the party.