The absence of Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole from the Vajramooth rally of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the newly renamed city of Aurangabad Sunday has sparked speculations regarding a rift in the alliance, especially around the issue of Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar.
While the Congress played down Patole’s absence, the BJP took a jibe saying that all was not well with the MVA as it looked like a divided house at the rally in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
“MPCC Nana Patole was preparing to go to Surat where our party leader Rahul Gandhi will be filing his appeal against the local court’s verdict sentencing him to two years in a defamation case. That’s why he could not remain present at the rally,” Congress chief spokesperson Atul Londhe told The Indian Express.
Londhe denied that Patole or the party was upset and added the senior leader will take part in the MVA’s next rally.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut said Patole could not come to the rally as he was not well. “I have spoken to Patole. He sounded unwell, he could barely speak. He wanted to take rest for a day so that he could go to Surat where Rahul Gandhi would be filing his appeal against the lower court’s order in the defamation case,” he said.
Raut added the MVA will organise 14-16 rallies. “Patole would be present for MVA’s next rally,” he said.
The BJP, however, took a jibe at the MVA rally as well as the absence of Patole. “When a state president of a key MVA ally suddenly goes missing, it shows there is something wrong in the MVA. They said it was a “Vajramooth” rally, but the MVA looked more in tatters than united,” said state BJP spokesperson Sandeep Khardekar.
Khardekar said the reason behind Patole’s absence from the rally could be because the Shiv Sena (UBT) had slammed Rahul Gandhi on the issue of Savarkar. “At the Malegaon rally, Uddhav Thackeray had said that his party would not tolerate any insult to Savarkar. This was a direct attack on Rahul Gandhi. And this could be the reason why Patole stayed away from yesterday’s rally,” Khardekar said. “Something is cooking up in the MVA. They don’t see eye to eye and are presenting a false picture of unity and trying to take people for a ride,” he added.
In Patole’s absence, senior Congress party leaders like Balasaheb Thorat and Ashok Chavan spoke at the rally. However, both lacked the sting that Patole provides in his speeches.
Congress leaders present on the occasion also had to suffer embarrassment as NCP leader Ajit Pawar also demanded Bharat Ratna for Veer Savarkar. “Before this, Ajit Pawar had never made such a demand. It was always made by Uddhav’s Sena. This was certainly an embarrassment for the Congress. Patole stayed away from the rally because he knew Uddhav Thackeray would raise the Savarkar issue. But with the NCP too raising and praising Savarkar, the Congress has been really cornered. It is good that Patole stayed away from the rally,” said a senior Congress leader.
