Cong top leader voices ‘helplessness’ over Chanda candidate

Chandrapur: An audio clip of a conversation in which a person claiming helplessness over Congress nominating Vinayak Bangade from the Chandrapur Lok Sabha seat has gone viral. Though, the caller identifies himself as Rajurkar from Chandrapur, the person at the other end is not identified by name but seems to be a top party functionary.
When Rajurkar questioned how Bangade got nominated, the bigwig said, “You speak to Mukul Wasnik (AICC general secretary) or Vijay Wadettiwar (MLA). I tried hard to explain but nobody is listening to me. I too will resign.”

Rajurkar told the bigwig “our candidate could have won from Chandrapur”. He did not mention any name. Rajurkar even told this bigwig that he is “bigger than Wasnik”. To this, the reply was, “Nobody is understanding. I’m with you.”

The bigwig even asked for Bangade’s number from Rajurkar. “Ask him to give up his claim,” Rajurkar was told.

The authenticity of the clip could not be ascertained.

Sources told TOI that state Congress president Ashok Chavan was learnt to be seeking a ticket for Shiv Sena MLA from Warora Balu Dhanorkar. He had resigned from the assembly seat hoping to get a Congress Lok Sabha ticket.

At a press conference in Mumbai, Chavan said, “It was a personal conversation between two people and should have remained in private domain. The party's decision is final. We have not been able to satisfy all the Congress workers but the party's decision is final. There are complaints about the Chandrapur seat. I don't want to discuss the party's internal matter in the public.”