At Maharashtra Congress meeting Patole, Thorat say all is well

Amid the ongoing tussle between Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole and party veteran Balasaheb Thorat in the wake of recent legislative council elections, both the leaders came face to face at the party's state executive committee meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday, with both of them later claiming that everything was fine between them.

The Congress was left high and dry after its official candidate for the Nashik division graduates seat Sudhir Tambe refused to contest the MLC elections held last month. His son Satyajit Tambe fought as an independent from that seat and won the election.

In the wake of these developments, Thorat wrote a letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge against the working style of Patole and also offered to resign as the legislature party (CLP) leader.

Talking to reporters after the meeting on Wednesday, Patole, who was flanked by Thorat and former state chief ministers Ashok Chavan and Prithviraj Chavan, said there were no differences in the state unit.

"An attempt was made to create differences among us after the Congress's victory in Amravati and Nagpur teachers' constituencies in the legislative council elections... There are no differences among us," Patole stated.

He refused to answer questions on whether Thorat has resigned as CLP leader.

Asked about AICC in-charge H K Patil's visit to Thorat on Sunday, he said Patil visited Thorat to inquire about his health after a shoulder surgery.

When asked whether he was sulking, Thorat shot back saying, "Who told you that I am upset?''

To a question on the letter sent by Thorat to the party leadership against him, Patole said, ''Show me the copy of the letter."

Thorat said, "Writing letters to the leadership is a norm followed by all parties and there is nothing wrong in it.''

Matters between the two leaders had escalated after Patole recently suspended Sudhir Tambe and Satyajit Tambe, who are brother-in-law and nephew, respectively, of Thorat. When Satyajit Tambe filed his nomination as an independent candidate for the Nashik graduates constituency, he accused Patole of deliberately trying to defame his family and ensuring he doesn't contest as a Congress candidate.

Patole said the executive committee has resolved to ensure the victory of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) candidates in the upcoming bypolls to Kasba Peth and Chinchwad assembly constituencies in Pune district.

Accusing the state and central governments of being anti-farmer, he said his party would raise problems faced by farmers for adequate price for their crop in the budget session of the state legislature and on the streets.

He alleged that Ratnagiri-based journalist Shashikant Warishe was killed due to misuse of power. ''We will fight for justice in the case in the legislature," he said.

Patole also said that BBC offices were raided because of its documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots.

"The government's action of using central agencies to target the BBC has brought a bad name to our country," the Congress leader charged.

He said the meeting condemned the expunging of portions of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's speech in the Lok Sabha, saying it was an attack on democracy.