Five Maharashtra MLAs skip Congress meeting post Chavan's exit, party says they had prior engagements

Zeeshan Siddique (Bandra East), Aslam Shaikh (Malad West), Amit Deshmukh (Latur City), Sulbha Khodke (Amravati) and Mohanrao Hambarde (Nanded South) did not attend the meeting. Congress Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat said all five lawmakers remained absent after seeking permission from him.

Mumbai: At least five Congress MLAs did not attend a meeting of the party's lawmakers in Maharashtra on Thursday, called in the aftermath of the high-profile exit of former chief minister Ashok Chavan that has triggered speculation about more such defections.

Zeeshan Siddique (Bandra East), Aslam Shaikh (Malad West), Amit Deshmukh (Latur City), Sulbha Khodke (Amravati) and Mohanrao Hambarde (Nanded South) did not attend the meeting here.

Congress Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat said all five lawmakers remained absent after seeking permission from him.

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole also maintained that the legislators sought his permission to skip the meeting due to prior commitments.

Siddique and Shaikh said they had commitments in their constituencies, while Deshmukh is not in the state. Khodke and Hambarde had family engagements, a party functionary said.

The party functionary added both Siddique and Shaikh had given their signatures as proposers for Congress’ Rajya Sabha candidate Chandrakant Handore and attended a meeting of party lawmakers on Wednesday evening.

Siddique’s father Baba Siddique quit the Congress to join the NCP last week.

Opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders Ajay Choudhary (Shiv Sena UBT) and Jitendra Awhad (Sharad Pawar-led NCP) were also present for the meeting called before filing the nomination papers of Handore.

In a setback to Congress ahead of Lok Sabha polls, ex-CM Chavan resigned from the grand old party on Monday, triggering speculation about more defections from the party. He joined the BJP a day later and was fielded by the saffron party for the Rajya Sabha elections.

Last month, former Union minister Milind Deora switched over the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena from the Congress. Deora has been nominated by the Shiv Sena for Rajya Sabha polls.