Amidst reports of a growing rift between Maharashtra's ruling alliance, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Wednesday said Congress leader Nana Patole's habit of bragging about the Congress Party and its "growing influence in the state" rankled allies in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
Speaking to ANI, Athawale said, "Nana Patole 'har vishay par maar rahe badai, aur isiliye Maha Vikas Aghadi mai ho rahi hai ladai' (Nana Patole brags about issues, this leads to rifts in Maha Vikas Aghadi). He is maligning the image of the Congress party."
"Nana Patole is making such upright statements for publicity. This will harm the Congress Party. There is a rift in Maha Vikas Aghadi government. I do not know how long this government will last. They have to resolve the dispute if they want to run the government or Congress should pull back their support," added the union minister.
Earlier today Patole, the Maharashtra Congress Chief said Congress has its own strategy for the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly election.
"The decision to contest the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly election alone will be taken by the party. It is just like the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) took the decision in 2014. We have our own strategy," Patole said.
Congress leaders today met National Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar to assure him that Patole's statements that allegedly angered leaders in the alliance, would not be repeated.
NCP sources informed that a few MVA leaders were angry with recent statements made by Patole about his party's 'growing influence in Maharashtra'.
On Tuesday, Patole had said that his party will emerge as number one in the state, maintaining that everything is fine in the alliance.
"People will see, Congress in Maharashtra will become the number one party in the state. Many people are miffed over the party's growing influence over the state," he had said.
( With inputs from ANI )
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