Cong MP Satav wants to concentrate on Gujarat, asks party not to renominate him

MUMBAI: Congress MP from Hingoli in central Maharashtra, Rajeev Satav, on Friday told the party that he would like to concentrate on his responsibility as party in-charge in Gujarat Congress and requested the party to not renominate him as a candidate.

Satav, former national president of Congress’ youth wing, was appointed as organisation in-charge of the Gujarat unit of the party a year ago, replacing Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot who had handled the Congress campaign in the Assembly elections there.

After a fair show in the Assembly elections in 2017 in Gujarat, the party is aiming to improve its tally in the state from the blank drawn in 2014. Satav has informed the party to

relieve him of one of the two responsibilities.

“As an in-charge, I have to look after 26 seats in Gujarat and two in Dadra, Diu and Nagar Haveli and it’s a huge responsibility. I would not be

able spend sufficient time in Hingoli, if I am asked to contest the election. I expect the party to decide my role. It would be easier for me to concentrate in Gujarat if another candidate is given Hingoli. If party asked me to shoulder both the responsibilities, I would not mind to doing so,” he said.

In 2014, Satav had defeated Subhash Wankhede by 1,600 votes.

He was one of the two Congress candidates to win from Maharashtra, other being former chief minister Ashok Chavan.

Some party leaders said the re-election would not be easy for Satav.

Besides, he is now not on good terms with Chavan who had played a role in his victory in 2014.

Meanwhile, Congress’s plan to offer Sangli to Raju Shetti-led Swabhimani Paksha triggered a sharp reaction from party workers in Sangli.

The workers have threatened to lock the party office in Sangli as symbolic protest, if the seat was offered to the ally.