Satyajeet denies BJP move, Congress to act against rebellion

Satyajeet insisted that his allegiance to Congress remains strong, as he “loves its ideology and his family was going to complete 100 years as Congress loyalists in 2030”. However, as an Independent candidate, he is equally keen to contest the council polls and “seeking support from other political parties, including BJP”, to run unopposed

Mumbai: A day after he filed the nomination as an Independent candidate for the upcoming legislative council elections, Congress has declared Satyajeet Tambe a rebel candidate. On Friday, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole indicated that the party would act against both Satyajeet and his father Sudhir Tambe, who was declared the party’s official candidate from the Nashik graduate constituency, but chose not to file his nomination.

Satyajeet Tambe Patil, son of Congress legislator Sudhir Tambe Patil and nephew of revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat

Speculations of Satyajeet joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) continued to fly thick on Friday, especially since BJP decided not to field any candidate from the seat. It is believed that while Satyajeet had agreed to join BJP and contest the council polls, he faced opposition from his family, especially senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat, his maternal uncle. A Congress insider said, “Satyajeet is back in the fold of the family, after Thorat requested deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis not to break up the family.”

Satyajeet insisted that his allegiance to Congress remains strong, as he “loves its ideology and his family was going to complete 100 years as Congress loyalists in 2030”. However, as an Independent candidate, he is equally keen to contest the council polls and “seeking support from other political parties, including BJP”, to run unopposed.

Patole was however unforgiving, as he said, “I want to make it clear that the party will not support a rebel candidate. The election ticket was given to Sudhir Tambe but he chose not to contest the polls and allowed his son to file the nomination, which is akin to cheating the party.”

Patole said that the “party high command” was informed about the status-quo and that Satyajeet’s stand to “take support from all the parties including BJP” was like committing “fraud with Congress”.

Satyajeet, a former youth wing chief of Maharashtra Congress, helped his uncle Balasaheb Thorat, organising the Maharashtra leg of Bharat Jodo Yatra. Thorat was in-charge of the operations.

Satyajeet insisted that both Patole and Maharashtra in-charge H K Patil were informed that either he or his father would contest the council poll. “Hence, we requested them to send a blank AB form. Despite that my father’s candidature was declared by senior party leaders in Delhi,” he claimed. He argued that he filed his nomination as a Congress candidate but since no party, including Congress filed an official candidate, he was declared as an independent candidate.

“We have been Congress loyalists since 1930 when my great grandfather joined the party. None of us quit the party to join another, only to eventually return. I am still in love with Congress,” Satyajeet said, adding that it was not wrong to seek support from other parties to run unopposed in the elections as no one had fielded their official candidate.

“The party should give me an opportunity to clear the air before reaching any conclusion,” he said.

Senior party leaders are steadfast about taking action against Satyajeet. Ashok Chavan, former chief minister, said that it was a serious matter, which the high command must consider. “The official candidate did not file the nomination and his son filed as an independent candidate. The party will lose a seat in council,” said Chavan.

Patole said BJP was indulging in gross abuse of power in its desperate bid to break opposition leaders. “BJP has started breaking homes by threatening people. They are enjoying this today but they will understand the pain when the tables are turned,” said Patole.

“The grand old party needs to introspect about its state of affairs instead of accusing others. If they fail to do so, such incidents will continue to take place,” said senior BJP leader and forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar.