Ambedkar targets Patole: 'Some leaders of Cong have secret links with BJP?

Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi VBA leader Prakash Ambedkar on Sunday claimed Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole refused to contest Lok Sabha election from Bhandara-Gondiya seat as he was not keen to fight against the BJP.

Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) leader Prakash Ambedkar on Sunday claimed Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole refused to contest Lok Sabha election from Bhandara-Gondiya seat as he was not keen to fight against the BJP. Addressing a press conference, Ambedkar asked if some leaders and workers in Congress have a ''secret relationship'' with the saffron party in Nagpur and other seats. He also wondered if there is ''match-fixing'' for Nanded constituency between Patole and BJP leader Ashok Chavan, a former Congressman.

''Nana Patole withdrew himself from the Bhandara-Gondiya contest even after Congress asked him to fight elections. It seems Patole doesn't want to fight against the BJP. Does it mean that some leaders of Congress have a secret relationship with BJP leaders?'' he asked. Ambedkar-led VBA recently decided against aligning with Maha Vikas Aghadi for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections following a disagreement over the sharing of seats. The Congress has fielded Prashant Padole against sitting Bhandara-Gondiya MP Sunil Mendhe of BJP. Ambedkar further claimed Patole was saddened due to the support extended by VBA to Congress in the Nagpur constituency, where Union minister and BJP MP Nitin Gadkari is in the fray. ''Nana Patole is feeling sad as he thinks Gadkari will lose. He is not feeling happy that the Congress candidate will win in Nagpur because of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi's support. I wonder whether Patole is with Congress or with Gadkari,'' Ambedkar claimed. He also hinted at ''match-fixing'' in Nanded constituency between Ashok Chavan and Patole. ''The Congress candidate for Nanded is on dialysis and cannot work around the constituency,'' he added.

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