Nagpur News.
Heads have started to roll in local Congress after the humiliating defeat of party candidate Vilas Muttemwar from Nagpur constituency in the recently held Lok Sabha elections.
Raja Dronkar, City General Secretary, who had raised his dissenting voice against North Nagpur MLA and EGS Minister Dr Nitin Raut and had squarely blamed him for Muttemwar’s defeat, has been issued a show cause notice asking him as to why disciplinary action should not be taken against him for anti-party activities.
When Nagpur Today contacted Ganesh Patil, the MPCC General Secretary for his comments on the matter, he confirmed the development and said, “A show cause notice has been issued to Raja Dronkar, the Nagpur Congress General Secretary, on May 23 for his anti-party activities. The show cause notice further asked Dronkar to file his reply which he has done. Now the matter will be discussed in the Disciplinary Committee meeting to be held shortly,” Ganesh Patil said. Dronkar had raised a hue and cry over Congress rout and subsequently opened a front against Raut with the help of rivals of the minister. Dronkar was demanding ouster of Nitin Raut from Ministry and even expulsion from party. On the other hand, Raut camp had also launched a counter attack against Dronkar. This bitter wordy duel reached the top leaders in AICC who directed MPCC to look into the matter and take an appropriate decision. However, Dronkar was not alone in blaming Raut. Rivals within were also towing Dronkar line. But crushing every dissenting voice would prove costly for the party in the coming Assembly elections in Maharashtra, said the sources.
The signs of upheaval in local Congress circles were witnessed soon after Congress got the drubbing in Lok Sabha elections in the shape of Muttemwar’s defeat. Dr Nitin Raut and City Congress President Vikas Thakre were the first to resign from their posts taking responsibility for party’s poor show. However, their resignations were rejected in a meeting held to introspect the reasons behind debacle. The fact that Muttemwar faced opposition to his candidature was clear from the beginning. Except loyal leaders and workers, no other prominent leaders had jumped in the campaign trail.
