Patole & Patel rivalry straining MVA from within

Nagpur: MPCC (Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee) chief Nana Patole’s latest salvo against Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ally NCP was the outcome of his old rivalry with the latter’s senior leader Praful Patel, say leaders in both the parties.
Due to the latest war of words between Patole and NCP leaders, the remote possibility of Maha Vikas Aghadi fighting the forthcoming local body polls unitedly against the BJP has ended, say political observers.
The rivalry between the two bigwigs dates back to 2009 when Patole, then Congress MLA, decided to independently contest against Patel from Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha constituency, after being denied Congress ticket. He was expelled from the Congress for this decision.
After Patole lost to Patel, he joined BJP. He, however, avenged the defeat by becoming a giant killer by trouncing Patel, who was then civil aviation minister in Manmohan Singh government, in 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
Holding the ‘grudge’ against the NCP leader, Patole had also opposed the decision to allot land at Tiroda to Adani’s power plant in Patel’s constituency. Both the leaders had hardly shared stage in all these years and did not leave any opportunity to outplay each other in Bhandara and Gondia’s political circles, the leaders said.
The latest outbursts came after Sharad Pawar-led party, NCP, supported arch rival BJP in Gondia Zilla Parishad polls. This seemed to be the final nail in the coffin after the already strained relations between the two partners of then Democratic Front, say observers.
Patole had indirectly blamed Patel, who is having a significant presence in the constituency, for the fiasco. In a tit-for-tat move, Patole managed to win coveted posts in Bhandara ZP by breaking five members from the BJP with the help of party’s former MLA Charan Waghmare.
Patole then lodged a complaint against NCP with the high command accusing the latter of making efforts to erase Congress from Maharashtra. He also issued a veiled warning to MVA partners on staying in alliance. He reiterated his stand that the Congress would fight the upcoming local body polls alone.
Endorsing Patole’s stand, MLC Abhijit Wanjari said being the state chief, the former had every right to air grievances with the high command, if coalition partners were ditching the party. “I agree with his stand that all parties should independently fight the upcoming polls and then go for an alliance. The activists working at the ground level should get a chance to fight the polls, which will not be possible in the coalition. Leaders from all three MVA constituents should sit together to resolve all the differences before the polls,” he said.
NCP city chief Duneshwar Pethe reminded Patole of his earlier statement when the latter had claimed he would shut NCP’s lone shop (seat) in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC). “Even since Patole has taken over MPCC’s reins, he has been making claims of not contesting the polls together. He is known for such declarations, which hardly become reality. He should not forget he is not the decision-maker, there are other senior leaders in the state than him. Ultimately, their high command would take a final call. As MVA partners, we must follow the coalition compulsions and fight the polls together to defeat the BJP,” he added.