Nagpur- In a recent development, the Congress party has issued a show-cause notice to its candidate from Central Nagpur, Banty Shelke, in connection with his allegations against state president Nana Patole. During a meeting held in Mumbai on December 28, Shelke accused Patole of being an agent of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The notice instructs Shelke to provide a written explanation within two days to the party’s state office, warning that failure to do so could lead to suspension from the party.
Shelke, a youth Congress leader and candidate from the Central Nagpur constituency, alleged that Patole, who is the state Congress president, had colluded with the BJP by engaging with several BJP candidates. Shelke further claimed that this was the reason for his loss in the elections. His comments stirred a controversy during a review meeting of the Congress party.
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Monday 10 Feb. 2025
On Thursday, a meeting was convened at Tilak Bhavan in Mumbai with all the defeated candidates in attendance, including Nana Patole, Balasaheb Thorat, Prithviraj Chavan, Sunil Kedar, Prafull Gudhe, Girish Pandav, and several other candidates. It was during this meeting that Shelke made direct accusations against Patole.
Central Nagpur, which has a significant Muslim and Halba population, saw discontent within the Halba community after a candidate was denied a nomination, further fueling resentment against the BJP. Shelke argued that despite the favorable political and religious dynamics for the Congress in the constituency, he lost by a margin of 11,000 votes.
Shelke did not stop there. In the Congress meeting, he also accused Patole of selling tickets. He mentioned that while he had been officially nominated by the Congress and had contested under the party’s symbol, he had to campaign alone without support from the party organization. Shelke alleged that no Congress leaders, including Patole, came to Central Nagpur for campaigning or extended any assistance.
