Jolt to Congress as 28 corporators in Malegaon join NCP
The development in Malegaon is significant for the Congress because it had emerged as the single largest party in this Muslim-dominated town in 2017 by winning 29 seats.
Mumbai: In a major setback to the Congress, its almost entire elected corporators in the Malegaon Municipal Corporation defected to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Thursday. Led by Mayor Tahira Shakh, 27 of the 28 elected representatives and one nominated corporator joined the NCP in the presence of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and state NCP president Jayant Patil. The defection is likely to increase bitterness with Congress leaders threatening a “tit-for-tat”.
The Congress is part of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government along with the Shiv Sena and the NCP. Ironically, the announcement was made by Pawar when top state Congress leaders were in a closed-door meeting with All India Congress Committee in-charge of Maharashtra, H K Patil, over the party’s prospects in the civic polls. Elections to several municipal corporations, including the Malegaon civic body, are expected to be held in the next few weeks.
The development in Malegaon is significant for the Congress because it had emerged as the single largest party in this Muslim-dominated town in 2017 by winning 29 seats. As the election threw a fractured mandate, the Congress had won power with the help of the Sena and the BJP against the NCP and the AIMIM in the house of 84 members. Of the 29 corporators, one died two years ago.
“We were planning a rally for induction of the corporators but it could not be held because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Ultimately it was decided to hold it at the party office. NCP chief Sharad Pawar never discriminated against people over religion, caste, creed or relations,” said Pawar after inducting the corporators and the mayor at the NCP headquarters at Ballard Pier.
Congress candidate in last Assembly elections and former MLA from Malegaon Central constituency Asif Shaikh too resigned from the party in February last year. He also joined the NCP along with his father Shaikh Rashid Haji Shaikh, a former MLA and Congress district president.
“The problem with the Congress is there is no respect for ordinary workers anywhere,” alleged Shaikh Rashid, who had breached the Janata Dal (Secular) stronghold in 1999 and 2004.
The Rashid family held sway in the Congress locally and in the minority community in Malegaon and in parts of north Maharashtra. Rashid was a two-term MLA from the Malegaon constituency between 1999 and 2009. His son Asif Shaikh too won the seat in 2014 but in 2019 he lost the battle against AIMIM candidate Mufti Mohammad Ismail. Rashid’s wife Tahira is mayor of the Malegaon municipal corporation.
For the mayoral polls, the party had joined hands with the Sena and Shaikh Rashid was elected mayor in the first half of the term while his wife Tahira won the mayoral polls later in December 2019 along with Sena’s Nilesh Aher as deputy mayor for the remaining term.
Asif Shaikh was disappointed after his name was not considered for the state Congress committee formed after Nana Patole took reins of the Maharashtra unit.
“The party was overlooking us. It failed to provide development funds for Malegaon city despite being in power. We are answerable to the people. Thus, first I decided to quit the party in February last year. Two months ago, my father (Shaikh Rashid) resigned from the post of district Congress chief but he is yet to receive any communication from party leaders. Despite being a senior leader, no one cared to ask him the reason for quitting the party position,” said Asif Shaikh.
Congress reacts
The defection was discussed between H.K. Patil and senior Congress leaders. Party insiders said revenue minister and Congress legislative party leader Balasaheb Thorat spoke to Sharad Pawar and conveyed their displeasure.
“The party is upset at the NCP poaching Congress leaders. Before Malegaon, the NCP has weaned away Congress corporators in Bhiwandi. Though the defection of leaders does not mean a shift in the loyalties of party workers, this is not right (as the Congress and the NCP are in an alliance),” a Congress leader said.
State Congress chief Nana Patole threatened a “tit for tat”. “They have taken a few from us but there are many from them (NCP) who want to join the Congress. Discontent is part of politics. So, we don’t take such matters seriously… Tit for tat is also part of politics. We are not saying what they (NCP) did is wrong but they also should not feel bad when we do the same to them,” he said.
In response, the NCP said the Congress leaders had been unhappy for the last three months and were planning to join some other party. Thus, it decided to take them along.
“Ahead of elections, leaders do shift from one party to another to ensure they get elected. Asif Shaikh had already joined the NCP three months ago. His father (Shaikh Rashid) had also been upset with the party (Congress) for the last three months and was also planning to join some other party. This is when we decided to induct him to the NCP. If the Congress or any party believes that NCP leaders want to join them then they are free to take them. We are not stopping anyone,” said Nawab Malik, chief spokesperson and cabinet minister.
At present, Mufti Muhammed Ismail of the AIMIM is the MLA of Malegaon.
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Energy Minister Raut upset
Energy minister Nitin Raut is said to have left a meeting of senior leaders that was chaired by party’s state in-charge H.K. Patil in Mumbai to discuss the performance of the Congress in the local body elections. Sources said Raut had not been invited to the meeting.
However, later, it was denied by Patole and Raut. “The meeting was about the recent elections and forthcoming polls,” said Patole, adding that just Thorat, former chief ministers Ashok Chavan and Sushilkumar Shinde, and he (Patole) had been invited.
Raut said he had an appointment with Patil at 10 am and their meeting went on till 10.30-10.45 am. “I am not upset with the party,” Raut said.
