Mumbai: A day after the legislator from Aurangabad, Abdul Sattar, quit the Congress, he has denied reports of joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He claimed on Monday the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief Ashok Chavan had promised him a Lok Sabha ticket from either the Aurangabad or Jalna constituencies.
His denial comes after photographs and videos of him meeting Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Girish Mahajan were circulated. Sattar met the BJP leaders at 1.30am on Sunday. Sattar clarified he had gone to hand over his resignation as legislator to Fadnavis.
After meeting Fadnavis, Sattar had said he would contest from Aurangabad. However, the Congress has already announced the names of Subhash Zambad, sitting member of legislative council (MLC) and Vilas Autade, for Aurangabad and Jalna LS constituencies respectively.
If Sattar’s claim is true, the Congress is contemplating replacing its candidate for either the Aurangabad or the Jalna seats, in the same way it did for the Chandrapur LS seat. “Chavan has been in touch with me since I tendered my resignation as legislator. Along with other party leaders, he has assured me I could contest either from Aurangabad or Jalna LS seats,” said Sattar.
He added as he had already announced his intention to contest as an Independent, he has left the decision to fight on a Congress ticket to his supporters. Sattar, the legislator from Sillod in Aurangabad said the matter would be decided by his supporters on March 29 at a meet in Aamkhas Maidan. He denied his resignation was a pressure tactic to compel the Cong high command to make him an offer to contest either of the two seats.
