Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan received the councillors on Thursday

MUMBAI: Despite reservations within BJP, the 12 councillors in Ambernath suspended by Congress for ‘anti-party activities’ joined the saffron party Thursday. State BJP chief Ravindra Chavan received the 12 councillors at a function, raising questions not only from opposition but also from within his own outfit. The councillors were suspended on Wednesday by Congress for forming an alliance with BJP in the Ambernath municipal council. The optics of political adversaries forging an opportunistic local body coalition had left the the leadership in both parties flustered in their bid to explain the situation. Congress and BJP councillors had formed a bloc named the Ambernath Vikas Aghadi to hold the majority vote in the council and keep the Shinde-led Shiv Sena out of decision-making. A day later, amid hurried induction of the suspended Congressmen, BJP minister Ashish Shelar said the issue will be discussed intensively within the party. He said that his personal opinion was that “the Congress councillors should not have been brought into the party.” Shelar told TOI, “Some people made a mistake, and they have to face action for it.” He added that “the issue will be discussed in the party intensively.”