Maha: Ahead of MLC polls, Congress dissolves Ahmednagar committee

The Congress party has extended its support to Shubhangi Patil for the Nashik Division Graduates constituency election, but members of Ahmednagar District Congress Committee instead campaigned for an independent candidate, Patole said.MLC Sudhir Tambe, a close relative of staunch Congressman and former Maharashtra minister Balasaheb Thorat, dropped out of the upcoming Legislative Council polls on January 12, the last date for filing nominations, and said his son Satyajit Tambe would contest from the Nashik Division Graduates constituency.

The Maharashtra Congress on Thursday dissolved its Ahmednagar district committee, days after its member of the Legislative Council Dr Sudhir Tambe fielded his son for the biennial election defying party nomination and leaving the leadership embarrassed.

Making the announcement, Congress state president Nana Patole attributed the decision to "anti-party" activities. "The Congress party has extended its support to Shubhangi Patil for the Nashik Division Graduates' constituency election, but members of Ahmednagar District Congress Committee instead campaigned for an independent candidate," Patole said.

MLC Sudhir Tambe, a close relative of staunch Congressman and former Maharashtra minister Balasaheb Thorat, dropped out of the upcoming Legislative Council polls on January 12, the last date for filing nominations, and said his son Satyajit Tambe would contest from the Nashik Division Graduates' constituency. Satyajit filed his papers as an independent. The Congress then suspended the father-son duo from the party and decided to support Shubhangi Patil, another independent candidate backed by its Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners – the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Nationalist Congress Party. Throat and Sudhir Tambe are from the Ahmednagar district and are prominent political figures there. Thorat has not said anything on his relative's rebellion so far. Suresh Salunkhe, chairman of the Ahmednagar district rural congress committee has also been suspended from the party, Patole said.

The term of five members of the Legislative Council, two from graduates' and three from teachers' constituencies, is expiring on February 7. Voting to elect new members of the Upper House will be held on January 30 and counting will be taken up on February 2.

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