Confirming that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was aware of his independent candidature in the Maharashtra Legislative Council election, former state Youth Congress president Satyajeet Tambe said his candidature and the subsequent action against him and his father were not things that Gandhi should occupy himself with.
Satyajeet affirmed that he and his family were with the Congress and termed as “unfortunate” the party’s suspension of his father, sitting MLC Sudhir Tambe.
The election to the Legislative Council’s Nashik graduate constituency has taken an interesting turn with Satyajeet throwing in his hat as an independent. Sudhir refused to file his nomination although the party had declared him as its official candidate. Satyajeet, his son and a former Youth Congress president, filed his nomination as an independent candidate for the constituency.
Congress leaders were quick to blame the BJP for what they thought was an attempt to wean away another leader from their party. Congress state president Nana Patole and other leaders were taken equally by surprise and said they would take action against the Tambes. The “rebellion” assumes more significance as the Tambes are related to senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat. The junior Tambe shares a cordial relation with Gandhi, who had stayed at the guesthouse of a college run by the family in Sangamner.
Satyajeet, while speaking about his decision, said the matter was unfortunate. Asked if he had spoken to Gandhi about it, Satyajeet replied in the negative. “He is busy with the Bharat Jodo andolan and this matter has to be dealt with mostly by local leaders,” he told The Indian Express. However, Satyajeet said the former Congress president was aware of the matter. “This is a matter that has to be dealt with by the local leadership,” he said.
While he defended his decision to stand as an independent candidate, Satyajeet said he remained a Congress worker. He said his family would soon be completing its 100 years with the Congress. “Our family has always been a Congress one and we will continue to be so,” he said.