Congress, NCP battle rebellion in Maharashtra

The Congress and Nationalist Congress Party are finding it very hard to douse the fire of rebellion and infighting in at least half a dozen constituencies in Maharashtra, which might jeopardise the chances of their candidates in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

The trouble in Congress-NCP camp may indirectly benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is all set to win the Nagpur constituency, the headquarters of its alma mater, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, after 13 years.

Three Congress MLAs, of which two are ministers in the state cabinet, have openly revolted against the party's sitting MP and minister of state in the Union Cabinet for non-conventional energy, Vilas Muttemwar.

Last week, despite both Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and state Congress president Manikrao Thakre being present for the launch of Muttemwar's poll campaign, Animal Husbandry and Minority Welfare Minister Anees Ahmad, Minister of State for Home Nitin Raut and MLA Satish Chaturvedi stayed away from the rally.

In 2004, Nagpur was the only constituency out of 11 from the Vidarbha region that Congress managed to win quite handsomely.

Muttemwar's problems have been aggravated as the Kamathi assembly constituency, dominated by Dalits and Muslims, has been deleted from the Nagpur Lok Sabha constituency after the delimitation exercise.

In the Dhule constituency in north Maharashtra, former minister Rohidas Patil's supporters burned the effigies of former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, as Patil was denied the Congress ticket, which went to Amrish Patel, another former minister.

Patil, who was once considered to be a front runner for the post of chief minister, belongs to the anti-Deshmukh camp and suspects Deshmukh played a key role in denying him the ticket.

Though Patil made his resentment against the party's decision public, so far he has not said he will contest the coming elections as a rebel candidate. Similarly, in the Ahmadnagar constituency in western Maharashtra, sitting NCP MP Tukaram Gadakh has joined the BSP after being denied ticket by the NCP.

The BSP has announced it will give Gadakh ticket from the constituency.

In the same constituency, Congress MLA Rajiv Rajale has also announced his intention to contest the election against the party's decision to leave the constituency for NCP.

In Kolhapur also, sitting MP Sadashivrao Mandlik, who has been denied a ticket, has openly criticised party president Sharad Pawar and said to be in touch with BSP and his nomination is also likely to be announced in a day or two.