Maha Congress tussle: Balasaheb Thorat resigns from party post day after letter against Nana Patole

Maharashtra Congress senior leader Balasaheb Thorat resigned from his position as Maharashtra Congress legislature party leader on Tuesday, February 7, just a day after informing the party's central leadership that he cannot work with state Congress president Nana Patole due to his 'anger' towards him.

Sources said that he is adamant about his decision and is unlikely to change his mind. Additionally, they said that the senior Congress leader sent his resignation letter on February 2, adding that working with Nana Patole is becoming challenging.

Despite being a senior leader, statements were being made against him and his family, and some people were trying to tarnish the image of Thorat and his family, claimed sources. 

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole had denied that such a letter had been written, adding that he would only be able to comment if he knew the letter's contents.

According to PTI, Balasaheb Thorat, a former state unit chief and minister, said in a letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge that he is not being consulted before taking decisions.

This comes just days after former Nashik graduates constituency MLC Sudhir Tambe, Balasaheb Thorat's brother-in-law, refused to contest the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections despite being the Congress' official candidate. Sudhir Tambe's son Satyajit Tambe contested as an independent candidate and won the election. The results were made public on February 2. Ahead of the MLC election, Congress suspended Sudhir Tambe and Satyajit Tambe from the party. 

Balasaheb Thorat has also said that the (state) party leadership insulted him and made statements against his family on the (Tambe) issue, said his close aide, citing the letter. Over the issue, some Ahmednagar officials were punished, the letter further read. 

On January 26, Nana Patole disbanded the Congress' Ahmednagar district committee for 'anti-party activities' after some of its members allegedly campaigned for Satyajit Tambe rather than the candidate to whom the party had officially extended support.

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• Balasaheb Thorat Maharashtra Congress
• Congress
• Maharashtra
• Mallikarjun Kharge
• Mumbai
• Nana Patole