Political / I am being watched by Shiv Sena, NCP: Maha Congress chief Patole

Mumbai: Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole said on Monday leaders of the ruling alliance in Maharashtra of which his party is also a partner are keeping a watch on his movement. Patole said chief minister Uddhav Thackeray of the Shiv Sena and home minister Ajit Pawar from the NCP receive an intelligence report every morning and are shaken by the Congress’ moves to resurrect itself. Later, he said his comments have been misinterpreted and he would soon clarify the matter.

Addressing party workers at a meeting in Lonavala, said, "Every morning at 9, an intelligence report is submitted to the chief minister and the home minister on what is happening in the state. The Congress is resurrecting itself and the report is making the ground beneath their feet slip away. I am here in Lonavala and this report will go to them," Patole was quoted as saying by PTI.

He further said the Congress is re-establishing itself in Maharashtra and that is creating a “disquiet” among the other allies of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

Patole, who contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket before joining the Congress in 2018, has been in the news for some time now over his comments on the coalition government. Last month, he told reporters that “MVA was formed in 2019 for five years to stop the BJP. This is not a permanent fixture. Every party has the right to strengthen its organisation and the Congress has always given priority to providing relief to COVID-19 affected people by making available blood, oxygen and plasma at various places".

He was in the news again this week for asking party workers to appoint “our people” as the guardian minister of Pune, a post which Ajit Pawar holds. NCP chief Sharad Pawar soon hit back saying, "I do not get into these things. These are small (junior) people. Why should I speak on it? If (Congress president) Sonia Gandhi says something, then I will speak”.