CONG-NCP tiff on: Praful Patel taunts Patole

MUMBAI: The bickering among Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies continued on Friday as senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Praful Patel slammed state Congress chief Nana Patole over his remarks. Patel said they give importance to what Maharashtra Congress in-charge HK Patil says as he is a direct representative of the Congress leadership and speaks facts. He added that they do not want to talk about what Patole has said as he keeps saying something or other on a daily basis.

Patole had declared that the Congress would contest upcoming elections in the state on its own. He also alleged that he was put under surveillance by chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and that his movements and chats were being closely watched.

His remarks in the past two weeks have upset the NCP and Shiv Sena leadership.

Following this, Patil along with state revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat and public works department (PWD) minister

Ashok Chavan met Thackeray and NCP chief Sharad Pawar to control the damage and ensure their relations as ally was not strained.

“I would prefer what HK Patil says as he is a direct representative of the (Congress) high command. Also, he speaks based on the factual situation… We don’t think it is right to counter the state Congress chief’s (Nana Patole) statements which he is making on a daily basis. Pawar saheb has already said whatever he had to say on this issue. HK Patil and Balasaheb Thorat and

Ashok Chavan have also met Pawar and CM Thackeray, and you can understand the hint behind their meeting,” Patel told reporters in Nagpur on Friday.

After Patole’s announcement that the Congress would contest the upcoming elections on its own, Patel had said that all were free to do whatever they want to. “This is a coalition but we have not tied anyone’s hands. People are free to do what they want to,” the former civil aviation minister said.

He also stressed that the NCP chief is the founder of MVA and enjoys a different stature in Maharashtra politics, adding that the state government is running under the leadership of Pawar and Thackeray.

Targeting the NCP, Patole on Wednesday said, “We have to be prepared so that we do not face betrayal like we had to in 2014.” He also justified his announcement about the Congress going solo in the next Assembly elections in 2024. His jibe at the NCP came in less than 24 hours after a group of senior Congress leaders including Patil, Chavan and Thorat met the NCP chief.