Talks of heads rolling in Mumbai unit; cross-voting in MLC polls, absence of MLAs in trust vote on probe agenda
A dozen MLAs from the Congress party could not cast their votes during the floor test, as they had arrived late
The news of the appointment of the party’s Central Observer Mohan Prakash had started speculations that the Congress would make organisational changes in Maharashtra, more so because of the controversies that erupted due to cross-voting in the legislative council polls, the absence of MLAs in the floor test and the renaming of two cities by the then outgoing Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
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And with Prakash set to arrive in Mumbai on Saturday on a three-day ‘inquiry’ visit, the knives are out. A section of the Congress said though the state leadership was safe, the Mumbai chief’s position was in a danger zone because the party’s MLC candidate Chandrakant Handore, who lost to cross-voting despite being the first choice, has demanded action against those responsible. In an embarrassment for the party, its first choice candidate lost but the second choice, Bhai Jagtap, won. Handore has met with Rahul Gandhi to seek disciplinary action against the responsible.
Also read: Congress criticises Shinde govt over restoration of Emergency pension scheme
Contenders for city office
The people in support of Handore demanded that the leader be compensated by giving him the Mumbai unit president’s office. However, Handore is already the state unit’s working president and likely to face limitations while working in the city unit that faces municipal polls later this year. And if the party were to replace Jagtap, at least three others are in the zone of consideration. Some of them are lobbying with the high command, said party insiders.
Congress leader Mohan Prakash has been appointed as the party’s central observer
One of the prospective candidates is former city president and ex-Union minister Milind Deora. He has come out of hibernation and is taking a keen interest in party affairs. Early this week, he wrote to the CM and deputy CM to redraw Mumbai’s civic wards and redo the reservation as it favours the Shiv Sena.
The other is also a former city president and MP, Sanjay Nirupam, who had a long stint before 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Deora replaced him but quit later, making way for the late Eknath Gaikwad as an interim president. Jagtap came in December 2020.
Another candidate, who missed the bus in 2020 is Dr Amarjit Singh Manhas. He was accommodated as the state unit’s treasurer after losing out to Jagtap in the race for Mumbai chief's post.
Anti-secular renaming
In a meeting with Gandhi, the State Congress working president Arif Naseem Khan discussed the wrong message the party has given to the minority by playing a mute spectator to the renaming of Aurangabad (as Sambhajinagar) and Osmanabad (as Dharashiv). It is alleged that the Congress ministers in the MVA did not object or staged a walkout, as was decided by the party command, when the issue was brought up in the Cabinet meeting, which proved to be the last. A senior Congress leader said questions have been raised over the casual approach of the Congress legislative party which didn’t brief the ministers in a pre-cabinet meeting.
A leader, who attended a gathering at a senior minister’s residence a night before the Cabinet meeting, said, “When apprised of the development and the Sena’s insistence to get a last-minute proposal approved, the high command directed that the ministers walk out when it comes up. Barring two, all other ministers defied the party’s directive,” he said.
Missing during trust vote
The absence of about a dozen party MLAs during the trust vote on July 4 is also expected to be taken up by Prakash. Some said they arrived after the Assembly doors were shut for polling. Others blamed traffic. Some had sought permission for absence because of personal reasons during the speaker’s poll and floor test, held back-to-back within two days.
Senior leader Ashok Chavan had clarified that they missed the vote because they assumed that, as per the house tradition, the head count would begin after the speeches from the both sides. However, the division of votes took place before the speeches were made that day. But what caught the attention was Chavan’s statement that since the speaker’s poll a day before had given the government 164 votes, their [Congress MLAs] presence or absence wouldn’t have made any difference.
The central observer will meet the leaders and other stakeholders over the next three days and submit his report to the high command on the matters he has been asked to probe.
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Day, in July, when the trust vote was conducted
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