Latur: The Congress has expelled ten rebel candidates contesting the Nilanga Municipal Council elections as independents in defiance of the party’s official nominees.
The disciplinary action was taken on the directive of State Congress president Harshavardhan Sapkal, with senior vice-president Adv. Ganesh Patil issuing the expulsion orders, Latur district Congress president Abhay Salunke said.
According to Salunke, the Congress has fielded 23 candidates for councillor’s posts and one candidate for municipal president, selecting them purely on merit and public connectivity, without any factional influence.
“We are confident that our entire panel, including the presidential candidate, will win with a clear majority,” he said.
However, a group within the party allegedly aligned with a BJP MLA and propped up independent candidates for the president’s post and 10 councillor’s seats, aiming to weaken the Congress and assist the BJP. The city and tehsil Congress committees had demanded immediate expulsion of those openly indulging in rebellion, while a detailed report on those behind the scenes would be submitted after the election, Salunke added.
Taking serious note of the complaint, district observer Balasaheb Deshmukh forwarded the report to the state leadership. Acting on state president Sapkal’s direction, Adv. Ganesh Patil issued expulsion notices to the rebel candidates: Mohammad Pathan (president candidate) and councillor candidates Laxmibai Wanjarwade, Balaji Kamble, Sajid Shaikh, Laxmi Sonkamble, Deepak Chopne, Pawan Potdar, Ranjana Kamble, Shabad Kadri, and Yashoda Kamble.
