In a poll-eve embarrassment, Maharashtra Congress on Saturday suspended its Sillod legislator Abdul Sattar A. Nabi for alleged aanti-party' activities.
State Congress President Ashok Chavan made the announcement after Sattar openly declared his support to a rebel Shiv Sena legislator Harshvardhan Jadhav, who is contesting elections against the official Sena nominee Chandrakant Khaire.
Jadhav, a legislator from Kannad assembly, is son-in-law of state Bharatiya Janata Party President Raosaheb Danve-Patil.
Adopting an aggressive stance, Chavan also hinted that he would take a decision on Leader of Opposition, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil soon.
Vikhe-Patil has been reportedly giving tough times to the party after his medico son, Sujay, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party and is contesting from Ahmednagar Lok Sabha seat, a stronghold of the Vikhe-Patils for decades.
For the past couple of days, there has been speculation on Vikhe-Patil, who has merely said that "he would pronounce his future course of action" on Sunday (April 21).
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"Sattar has been suspended for anti-party activities as his actions would affect the prospects of the Congress candidate from Aurangabad, Subhash Zambad," a state MPCC official told IANS.
Last month, a peeved Sattar had abruptly quit the Congress after he was denied a Lok Sabha ticket from Aurangabad and threatened to contest as an independent, worrying the Congress over his potential to split the Muslim voters in this minority-dominated seats.
However, a fortnight later, he backtracked, withdrew from the parliamentary contest and was back in the party fold.
The five-cornered contest in Aurangabad has become critical for all parties given with Khaire making a fifth attempt against the challenge posed by Congress MLC Zambad, VBA-AIMIM's MLA candidate Imtiyaz Jaleel.
Besides there is the rebel Jadhav and a former senior Aurangabad Sena leader Subhash Patil contesting for Maharashtra Swabhiman Party of former Chief Minister Narayan Rane.
After quitting the Congress and his Assembly seat, Sattar had held two meetings with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, sparking speculation that he would join the BJP.
The maverick legislator shot into limelight when his supporters carted away 300 plastic chairs he had donated to the Congress party office here recently.
--IANS
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