Maharashtra Congress leader, former Wardha member of Parliament and education baron Datta Meghe on Monday quit the party, citing "total neglect" in its functioning. He indicated that he would join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on July 5.
Meghe sent his resignation to Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Manikrao Thakre.
Meghe took the decision to quit after his son and Congress party nominee Sagar’s humiliating defeat to the BJP’s Ramdas Tadas in the Vidarbha region's Wardha constituency during the Lok Sabha election. Sagar had been elected as the Congress nominee from Wardha through the primary exercise introduced by party Vice President Rahul Gandhi.
Meghe, who was in the Nationalist Congress Party before joining the Congress, had expressed serious displeasure over the manner in which the party had contested the general elections. He complained about his complete sidelining in state politics.
Perturbed over the Congress’ present state of affairs, Meghe had recently met the BJP’s former president and Union Minister for Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari, expressing his desire to join the BJP. However, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had asked Meghe to stop for a while before taking any major political decision. But Meghe, who enjoys a good rapport with Gadkari, preferred not to further sulk in the Congress and decided to shift his loyalties towards the BJP.
Meghe is one of many Congress members who are currently exploring an option of joining the BJP in the run-up to elections to the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, slated for September-October.
These members have raised serious questions about the role of organisational collapse and intra-party rivalries in the party’s debacle. They feel that the Congress is not taking any steps to revive itself and therefore, they are left with no other option but to desert the party and join the BJP.
Meghe's son Sagar was elected as Congress party's nominee in Wardha constituency through primary exercise introduced by Rahul Gandhi.
