Advertisement

Updated March 28th, 2021 at 14:36 IST

Congress state chief Nana Patole says party might fight Maharashtra elections alone

In the latest development, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole has claimed that the grand-old-party might go solo in the next assembly elections in the state

Reported by: Koushik Narayanan
PTI
| Image:self
Advertisement

In the latest development, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole has claimed that the grand-old-party might go solo in the next assembly elections in the state. Addressing party workers on Saturday, the state Congress chief claimed that the party was exploring the possibilities of contesting alone in the upcoming Assembly elections in the state. Congress joined hands with Sharad Pawar's NCP and Shiv Sena to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi after Uddhav Thackeray's party ended its alliance with the BJP and broke away from the NDA. 

Congress to go solo in Maharashtra polls?

Addressing the Congress cadre at Bhiwandi city in Thane district on Saturday, Nana Patole said that despite the Congress being in power in the state as a constituent of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, the work of the party workers was not being done. The senior Congress leader said that disciplinary action would be taken against 18 corporators of the party for defecting to the NCP. Earlier on Thursday, Nana Patole had remarked that the MVA government in Maharashtra will complete its 5-year term despite BJP's efforts to 'malign' the state government. 

In January, Mumbai Congress General Secretary Vishwabandhu Rai had penned a letter to Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and requested her to take a firm decision on the future of the party viz-a-viz its alliance with Shiv Sena and NCP in Maharashtra. In what is yet another incident showing all isn't well within the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance in Maharashtra, Rai has said that party leaders of MVA are allegedly involved in various scams like the PMC bank scam. He has said that due to the misdeed of MVA leaders, Congress will pay the price in upcoming elections and hence the grand-old party must reconsider its options. 

Congress vs Congress

Since Maharashtra govt's cabinet expansion in January 2020, discontent in the Congress party surfaced between Maharashtra cabinet minister Ashok Chavan and Balasaheb Thorat with both senior leaders reportedly demanding the Revenue and PWD portfolio. Moreover, other Congress leaders like Nitin Raut and Vijay Wadettiwar too had demanded the PWD ministry. While Thorat and Chavan were allotted the Revenue ministry and the PWD ministry respectively, Raut, Wadettiwar and Sunil Kedar were among 10 ministers of the Congress who found a place in the new government. 

However, the choice of certain leaders is ministers and portfolio allocation seems to have not gone down well with a section of Maharashtra Congress. A senior Maharashtra Congress leader questioned the integrity of MLAs Aslam Sheikh and Vishwajit Kadam on Tuesday who was inducted into the new cabinet, claiming that both the leaders were reportedly keen to jump the ship to the BJP prior to the Assembly polls held in October last year. Moreover, Congress Mumbai Congress General Secretary Vishwabandhu Rai has written a letter to interim president Sonia Gandhi stating that the party is being sidelined in the state government and the NCP is "weakening the Congress party like termites weaken wood". Recently, Congress has been miffed with Shiv Sena's comments on Sonia Gandhi's UPA chairmanship with Chavan saying, "Sena not part of UPA".

Advertisement

Published March 28th, 2021 at 14:14 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo