Congress suspends MLA Hiraman Khoskar for six years after joining NCP

Mumbai Congress president Nana Patole suspended MLA Hirman Khoskar for six years after his defection to Ajit Pawar's NCP, marking the fourth such action.

Mumbai: The state Congress president Nana Patole on Tuesday announced the suspension of its MLA Hirman Khoskar, who represented the Igatpuri seat in Nashik, for six years. This announcement came a day after Khoskar joined the Ajit Pawar-led NCP. HT on October 13 reported that Khoskar will switch to Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

Congress suspends MLA Hiraman Khoskar for six years after joining NCP

He is the fourth MLA against whom the party has taken action for defection. Previously, it had expelled Jitesh Antapurkar, who joined the BJP on August 31, and Zeeshan Siddique for anti-party activities and suspended Sulbha Khodke for six years for the same reason. Siddique and Khodke are also likely to join Ajit Pawar’s NCP too.

“Khoskar had cross-voted during the council polls and continued anti-party activities during the Lok Sabha elections and thereafter, leading to his suspension from the party for six years,” Patole said on Tuesday.

Khoskar was accused of cross-voting with three others during legislative council elections held on July 12 and since then he has been claiming that he was not involved in it. Recently, he met NCP (SP) Sharad Pawar with a request to convince Congress leadership that he is innocent. Later, he met Shiv Sena president and chief minister Eknath Shinde twice and finally joined the ruling NCP.

Patole said that the people of Igatpuri prefer Congress and have taught a lesson to those who abandoned the party. “We have plenty of aspirants in Igatpuri and a local leader will be given the opportunity,” he informed.