File Photo: Congress Lawmaker and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan.
Maharashtra Congress unit on saturday sought an early explanation from its local leaders in the wake of the party joining hands with BJP to gain control over Gondia Zilla Parishad.
State Congress chief Ashok Chavan had asked the Gondia district Congress president Purshottam Katare to give a written explanation within three days, party sources said.
In Gondia, the NCP recently emerged winner 20 seats in the 53-member Zilla Parishad. The BJP bagged 17 and Congress 16 seats. However, Congress had a post-poll alliance with BJP and bagged the ZP president's post while the saffron party got the vice president's post, leaving NCP out of power.
Katare and Gondia MLA Gopaldas Agarwal were summoned in Mumbai for a meeting with Mr Chavan this evening. Mr Chavan asked both the leaders to clarify their stand, party sources said.
The letter issued by state Congress to the Gondia unit said it had taken a serious view of the district unit's action, and after receiving the clarification, Mr Chavan will hold another meeting and send a report to the high command.
A Congress office-bearer in Mumbai said that though the alliance with saffron party was embarrassing, the state leadership must do a tight-rope walk while taking action.
Asked if the district unit would be asked to break the alliance with BJP, the leader said the party was aware of the fact that any decision would have to be ultimately implemented at the ground level. "Views of the 16 Zilla Parishad members can't be disregarded," he said.