Mumbai, Aug 3 (PTI) Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal has alleged that the BJP was attempting to corner its Mahayuti allies by inducting former Congress leaders from the constituencies where Shiv Sena and NCP MLAs won in the state polls.
Talking to PTI, Sapkal said leaders from the grand old party who switched sides in the recent months did so out of fear and greed, but the Congress is committed to safeguarding its ideology with clarity and aggression.
The Maharashtra Congress has been reeling under a series of defections ever since the party received a drubbing in the 2024 Assembly elections, which saw it win only 16 seats.
“Former Congress MLAs who quit had served as legislators for several years, and now they are not ready to wait. We have a lot of time to restructure the party in these constituencies,” he said.
The legislator from Buldhana claimed that the leaders who defected were power-hungry, and the Congress has decided to shut its doors on them.
The BJP was attempting to corner its allies — the Shiv Sena and NCP — by inducting Congress leaders from constituencies where MLAs from the two parties won in the state polls last year, he alleged.
Sapkal pointed out that of the leaders who recently quit the Congress, Kunal Patil lost to a BJP candidate in Dhule Rural, while NCP candidates defeated Suresh Warpudkar in Pathri constituency in Parbhani district, and Sanjay Jagtap in Khadakwasala, and Kailas Gorantyal lost to the Shiv Sena in Jalna.
Even former Bhor MLA Sangram Thopte, who joined the BJP, had been defeated by an NCP candidate, he said.
“It looks like the BJP is playing a game within the (ruling) alliance. They are taking readymade leaders,” Sapkal said.
Former MLAs who quit the Congress attributed the decision to personal reasons, he pointed out.
“It didn’t come as a surprise, since they were already on our list of possible defectors. The desertions have not impacted our aim to nurture and strengthen the organisation and prepare it for the crucial local body elections,” Sapkal said.
He further questioned why the BJP, which boasts of being the largest party with one crore workers, felt the need to induct leaders from other parties.
“Why can’t the BJP empower its leaders? This means it is a weak outfit, and wants to grow by finishing off other political parties. Instead of achieving ‘Congress-mukt Bharat’, the BJP has converted itself into a ‘Congress-yukt’ party,” he quipped.
Sapkal justified the recently announced 387-member jumbo committee of the Maharashtra Congress.
“We have more workers, so the size has to be big. At least 33 per cent are old faces, 66 per cent are new, and the average age is 51,” he said.
A social balance has also been achieved, he said, pointing out that 33 per cent of the members are women, 40 per cent belong to the Other Backward Classes, 19 per cent each to the Scheduled Class/Scheduled Tribes and minority communities.
The Congress will soon create a structure to strengthen the party at the village level and implement its programmes by setting up mandals, sectors and village committees, Sapkal said.
“We are also in the process of setting up election, training and outreach departments,” he said, adding that Congress’ frontal organisations also need to be strengthened.
The cadre will be encouraged to contest local body polls, he said, adding, “We have already begun preparations and conducting divisional reviews and holding training programs.” PTI MR ARU ARU
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