Congress In-Charge pacifies Thorat, refuses to accept resignation

The veteran politician resigned on February 2 to protest against the “insult and humiliation” heaped on him and also expressed his inability to work with Nana Patole.

Mumbai: The Congress is going all out to pacify senior leader Balasaheb Thorat, who is upset with Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole for allegedly sabotaging the candidature of his nephew Satyajeet Tambe in the recently held council elections and ‘defaming’ the family. The Maharashtra Congress In-Charge, H K Patil, met Thorat at his Worli residence and assured him that all misunderstandings would be sorted out soon.

The infighting in the grand old party came to the fore after Satyajeet Tambe, who successfully contested from the Nashik Teachers Constituency, blamed Patole for conspiring against him and his family by not giving him candidature for the recently held council elections. (HT Photo)

Patil also emphasised that there was no question of accepting Thorat’s resignation from his post as leader of the Congress Legislative Party. The veteran politician resigned on February 2 to protest against the “insult and humiliation” heaped on him and also expressed his inability to work with Patole.

Thorat will now meet Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and also attend the party’s three-day plenary session at Raipur from February 24. He confirmed this after his meeting with Patil, which lasted for more than an hour.

Before coming to Mumbai, Patil last week held a meeting with Kharge and AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, where he conveyed Thorat’s angst to them. “He was not consulted (before the suspensions of his brother-in-law Sudhir Tambe and nephew Satyajeet) and thus was hurt,” Patil said. “But this is a family matter, as the Congress is our family. I have discussed the issues with Thorat in detail and will sort out all misunderstandings soon.”

The Maharashtra Congress In-Charge reiterated that Thorat’s resignation was not even an issue for them and they would not accept it. “I have requested Thorat to attend party meetings and he has agreed despite a shoulder injury,” he said.

The infighting in the grand old party came to the fore after Satyajeet Tambe, who successfully contested from the Nashik Teachers Constituency, blamed Patole for conspiring against him and his family by not giving him candidature for the recently held council elections.

Even though Patole denied all the allegations, Thorat later broke his silence to openly declare that Satyajeet’s ‘rebellion and suspension’ episode was part of the dirty politics within the party. It was later revealed that he had also resigned from the Congress Legislative Party leader post, saying it would be difficult for him to work with Patole, but he was ready to take on a new responsibility at a later stage.

Thorat (70), who is an eight-term MLA from Sangamner in Ahmednagar district, is a prominent name among the politicians from Maharashtra’s sugar belt spread between the western and northern parts of the state. Son of the late Bhausaheb Thorat, a freedom fighter and Congress leader, he is the only prominent Congress leader from Ahmednagar district who has stayed with the party.