Internal rift within Maharashtra Congress was out in the open again as Congress legislature party leader Balasaheb thorat shot off a letter to party president Mallikarjun Kharge against state chief Nana Patole
Maharashtra Congress legislature party leader Balasaheb Thorat resigned from party post a day after saying he can’t work with state party chief Nana Patole.
Internal rift within Maharashtra Congress was out in the open again as Congress legislature party leader Balasaheb thorat shot off a letter to party president Mallikarjun Kharge against state chief Nana Patole.
Pained and disturbed over intra party politics, Thorat said in the letter, squarely blaming Patole for the chaos during Vidhan Parishad polls for Nashik.
In his letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Thorat, a former state unit chief and minister, also said he is not being consulted before decisions were being taken here, news agency PTI quoted a close aide as saying.
“Thorat, in his letter to the Congress leadership, has expressed inability to work with state president Nana Patole saying if he [Patole] holds so much anger against him, then it would be difficult to work with him. Thorat has also complained of not being consulted while decisions are taken,” the close aide reportedly claimed.
Nana Patole, speaking to reporters, had said, “I do not know what letter Thorat saheb has written. I can speak on it if the contents are made available to me. I don’t think Thorat has written any such letter.” Nana Patole added a meeting of the state executive committee of the Congress will be held on February 13 where several issues will be discussed to find solutions.
The matter comes days after then Nashik graduates constituency MLC Sudhir Tambe, who is the brother-in-law of Balasaheb Thorat, declined to contest despite being the Congress’ official candidate and got his son Satyajit Tambe to fight as an independent. Satyajit Tambe won the poll, results of which were announced on February 2.
While the Congress was left red-faced due to the episode, the silence of Balasaheb Thorat, who is recuperating from a shoulder injury, was seen as silent support to the Tambe father-son duo, sources said.
While Thorat did not take part in the campaign of Satyajit Tambe in the run up to the polls on January 30, several of the former’s family were present. The Congress has suspended Sudhir Tambe and Satyajit Tambe from the party for the MLC poll twist.
Balasaheb Thorat has also said he was insulted by the (state) party leadership and statements were made against his family on the (Tambe) issue, the aide said quoting the letter.
(With PTI inputs)
