Maharashtra Congress crisis deepens: Balasaheb Thorat resigns as CLP leader

The crisis within the Maharashtra Congress deepened further with veteran Congressman Balasaheb Thorat stepping down as leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) following differences with party’s state unit President Nana Patole in the backdrop of the elections to Nashik Division Graduates’ seat of the Council.

Thorat shot off a letter to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on being ignored by the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) leadership on crucial issues.

Thorat, who wrote the letter last week, was not available for comments.

Thorat’s brother-in-law and three-time MLC Dr Sudhir Tambe’s son Satyajeet Tambe was denied the AB Form despite assurance forcing him to contest the seat as an Independent and win the election.

Read | All is not well in Congress after Nashik MLC polls

Tambe Junior defeated Shubhangi Patil who was backed by the NCP-Congress-Shiv Sena alliance.

Thorat, who turned 70 on Tuesday, is a senior politician and is an eight-term MLA from Sangamner in Ahmednagar district.

He had in the past held important ministries in the Congress-NCP Democratic Front government between 1999-2014 and the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government between 2019-2022.

He had also served as the President of MPCC for a couple of years.

Thorat is a prominent figure in the cooperative movement and is the founder of a milk co-operative and is recognised for his work in Sangamner and Akole talukas.

On being asked about Thorat’s resignation as CLP leader, Patole, however, feigned ignorance. “I wish Balasaheb Thorat ji ‘many happy returns’ on his birthday today and wish him a long and healthy life,” he said, adding: “I have not got any such letter which is claimed, at least he should communicate with us, then we can discuss the issues.”

Patole also made it clear he had not received any communication on this issue from the AICC.

On the issue of the Tambes, he said: “It is purely a family issue…I had made this thing very clear earlier as well.”