Congress Leader Says Can't Work With Party's Maharashtra Chief Nana Patole

Senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat has written to the party's central leadership citing his inability to work with Maharashtra unit chief Nana Patole due to the latter's "anger" towards him, an aide of the former claimed on Monday.

Nana Patole told reporters in Pune he didn't think Balasaheb Thorat had written any such letter, adding he would only be able to comment if he knew this "letter's contents".

In his letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Balasaheb Thorat, a former state unit chief and minister, has also said he is not being consulted before decisions were being taken here, the aide added.

"Thorat, in his letter to the Congress leadership, has expressed inability to work with state president Nana Patole saying if he (Patole) holds so much anger against him, then it would be difficult to work with him. Thorat has also complained of not being consulted while decisions are taken," the close aide claimed.

Nana Patole, speaking to reporters, said, "I do not know what letter Thorat saheb has written. I can speak on it if the contents are made available to me. I don't think Thorat has written any such letter." Nana Patole added a meeting of the state executive committee of the Congress will be held on February 13 where several issues will be discussed to find solutions.

The matter comes days after then Nashik graduates constituency MLC Sudhir Tambe, who is the brother-in-law of Balasaheb Thorat, declined to contest despite being the Congress' official candidate and got his son Satyajit Tambe to fight as an independent. Satyajit Tambe won the poll, results of which were announced on February 2.

While the Congress was left red-faced due to the episode, the silence of Balasaheb Thorat, who is recuperating from a shoulder injury, was seen as silent support to the Tambe father-son duo, sources said.

While Mr Thorat did not take part in the campaign of Satyajit Tambe in the run up to the polls on January 30, several of the former's family were present. The Congress has suspended Sudhir Tambe and Satyajit Tambe from the party for the MLC poll twist.

Balasaheb Thorat has also said he was insulted by the (state) party leadership and statements were made against his family on the (Tambe) issue, the aide said quoting the letter.

Some functionaries from Ahmednagar were punished over this issue, the letter to Kharge further said.

Nana Patole had, on January 26, disbanded the Ahmednagar district committee of the Congress for "anti party activities" as some of its members had reportedly campaigned for Satyajit Tambe instead of the candidate to whom the party had officially extended support.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)