Maharashtra BJP MP Nana Patole resigns from party, Lok Sabha over farmers’ issue

BJP MP Nana Patola. (File)

AT a time when leaders from other parties are flocking to the BJP, Nana Patole, the BJP MP from Bhandara-Gondia constituency of Vidarbha, fired the first salvo at the ruling party by quitting the party. Patole, who has betrayed a rebellious mood since the past few months, had earlier said he won’t resign. That, however, wasn’t seen as a sincere claim. Eventually, Patole quit on Friday at New Delhi.

Patole had been openly criticising the state and Central governments lead by Devendra Fadnavis and Narendra Modi, even accusing the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, of not listening to anyone while speaking at a small programme here about three months ago. He had also criticised the Fadnavis government for “not being sensitive to farmers”. He was referring particularly to the loan-waiver scheme, which he had said was causing a lot of hardships to the farmers on account of online application procedure.

Patole had recently joined senior party leader Yashwant Sinha in his agitation for farmers’ demands at Akola. Barely two days later he decided to resign. Patole had joined the BJP by quitting Congress after 2009 Lok Sabha election, which he had lost to Praful Patel of he NCP as an Independent candidate. he had won the election by defeating Praful Patel of the NCP by about 1.49 lakh votes. In a press conference here last month, Patole had said he was being approached by many parties but he had not decided to quit the party. Patole wasn’t reachable for his comment.