Internal power tussle within Congress has again resurfaced, this time on the issue of candidates chosen for co-option in Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) House, as former Minister and MLA Dr Nitin Raut trained guns on City Unit Chief MLA Vikas Thakre. As the Congress has submitted nomination papers of Ketan Thakre, son of Vikas Thakre, Dr Raut criticised the move and said the decision was arbitrary and in violation of directives of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC). Clearing the air, Sanjay Mahakalkar, Leader of Opposition in NMC, said he did not receive any directives either from Nagpur City Congress Committee or MPCC. The shortlisting of Ketan and Atul Kotecha was done after internal consultation with party corporators. Interacting with newspersons on Thursday at NMC Headquarters, Mahakalkar showed a letter addressed to him by party corporators, demanding that Ketan be co-opted to NMC House. As to Kotecha, he is in receipt of submission by several social organisations and hence, the scales tilted in former's favour. He further stated, Dr Raut himself should have finalised one name from North Nagpur who he wished to be co-opted.

 

On Wednesday, the penultimate day of submission of names for co-option, two leaders from North Nagpur turned up with nomination papers, Suresh Jagyasi and Bandopant Tembhurne. At last moment, Ranjit Kamble, MPCC observers for Nagpur, directed that Tembhurne's papers be submitted for nomination. But Mahkalkar said, Ketan and Kotecha’s nominations were already submitted and technically, it was not possible to substitute anyone’s name. Vivek Nikose, corporator, lashed out at Dr Raut for trying to blackmail party into accepting his views.

 

In case, the senior leader was upset, he should have raised the issue at party forum instead of airing his views publicly. Nikose said, the senior leader and former Minister was time and again trying to garner sympathy by playing Dalit card, and claimed Dr Raut is trying to install his son as City Congress President. Mahakalkar also raked up a past issue when in 2017, Congress corporators’ group from North Nagpur dislodged him from Leader of Opposition post just a day before nomination of one person for co-option. So didn’t that time the party discipline was violated and what action was taken against the anti-party activities of the corporators who went against chosen leader.

 

In a counter act against Dr Raut’s move, Ketan Thakre, in an emotional move, submitted his resignation to Leader of Opposition in NMC. Thakre, interacting with newspersons at office of LoP at NMC on Thursday, said, that he does not want party’s image to be sullied and offered to step down. “I have high respects for Dr Nitin Raut, he is a fatherly figure to me, and I am ready to work as ordinary worker to strengthen the party,” Thakre added. Though Thakre offered, the LoP said, he is going to discuss the issue with Vikas Thakre, father of Ketan, and President, Nagpur City Congress Committee, and then decide on the matter. In fact, for Thakre to step aside, first his co-option needs to be finalised and then, he can submit his resignation to Group Leader who will submit the same to Mayor. The vacancy then will be announced and NMC administration will then decide on fresh process to fill up the one corporator from Congress quota.