The party’s newly elected MP from Chandrapur, Pratibha Dhanorkar, attended a Kunbi community event in the Brahmapuri Assembly constituency, which is represented by party leader and Leader of the Opposition, Vijay Wadettiwar. File. | Photo Credit: PTI
As the Maharashtra Congress works to position itself as the leading force within the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, internal strife has surfaced due to instances of unresolved organisational indiscipline.
A recent incident underscores the problem. It happened when the party’s newly elected MP from Chandrapur, Pratibha Dhanorkar, attended a Kunbi community event in the Brahmapuri Assembly constituency, which is represented by party leader and Leader of the Opposition, Vijay Wadettiwar. The event, also attended by BJP MLC Parinay Phuke, saw Dhanorkar advocating support for a Kunbi candidate, irrespective of political affiliation. She appealed to attendees, saying, “Regardless of the party — whether Shiv Sena, NCP, BJP, or Congress — let’s focus on electing a candidate from our community.”
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Mr. Wadettiwar and other senior Congress leaders brought the matter to the attention of the party’s leadership in New Delhi. Mr. Wadettiwar, a member of the minority Teli community, has already faced issues with Ms. Dhanorkar’s camp, who accused him of undermining her Lok Sabha election campaign after his daughter, Shivani, was denied a ticket.
Ms. Dhanorkar’s comments were seen as an effort to challenge Mr. Wadettiwar’s influence within the party. In response, the Congress leadership stepped in to mediate.
AICC mediation
Sources told The Hindu that AICC in-charge General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal “summoned” both leaders and asked them to set aside their differences and cooperate. The meeting, held in New Delhi on Saturday, aimed to resolve the rivalry and foster unity within the ranks.
“Firstly, he (Mr. Venugopal) questioned her about why she attended a meeting in the Brahmapuri constituency, which is outside her jurisdiction. He also asked how she could urge the gathering to support a Kunbi candidate from any party, while she herself represents the Congress, especially considering the constituency is already represented by a party colleague,” said a Congress inside. Though the constituency is located in Chandrapur district, it is part of Gadchiroli–Chimur Lok Sabha constituency.
BJP exploits rift
The issue became further complicated by BJP MLC Mr. Phuke’s announcement that he would ask Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to announce a Kunbi candidate from Brahmapuri.
Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Wadettiwar confirmed the meeting and said he did not file any formal complaint against her. He acknowledged that senior Congress leaders, including AICC in-charge of Maharashtra, Ramesh Chennithala, raised the issue in Delhi.
Ms. Dhanorkar did not respond to repeated calls from The Hindu for comment.
The internal discord within the party has been aggravated by growing frustrations among members. Congress leaders said the lack of action against legislators accused of crossvoting during MLC polls, which contributed to the defeat of the MVA candidate, is not helping.
Further complicating matters, Congress MLA Zeeshan Siddique was recently spotted attending Deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s Jan Sanman Yatra, raising additional concerns about party discipline. Though State Congress President Nana Patole said two MLAs, Mr. Siddique and Jitesh Antapurkar, have been expelled from the party, no official statement was issued. “I’m still a Congressman; no action has been taken against me. I did not get any written communication about being expelled,” Mr. Siddique, who represents Bandra (East) constituency in Mumbai told The Hindu. He is the son of former Congress leader Baba Siddique, who joined the Nationalist Congress Party led by Mr. Ajit Pawar.
Published – September 17, 2024 04:59 am IST
