Dronkar had raised a hue and cry over Congress debacle and subsequently opened a front against North Nagpur MLA and EGS Minister Dr Nitin Raut and blamed him for the humiliating defeat of party candidate Vilas Muttemwar from Nagpur constituency in the recently held Lok Sabha elections.
Nagpur News.
Finally, Raja Dronkar, City General Secretary has been removed from all organizational posts of Congress for his anti-party activities mainly for raising his dissenting voice against North Nagpur MLA and EGS Minister Dr Nitin Raut and blaming him for the humiliating defeat of party candidate Vilas Muttemwar from Nagpur constituency in the recently held Lok Sabha elections.
When Nagpur Today contacted Raja Dronkar for his comments on the development, he went volcanic and spit fire on Nitin Raut. Dronkar said, “The Congress high command has succumbed to the pressure tactics of Nitin Raut. The North Nagpur MLA had played the Dalit card and had threatened to resign from Congress if no action was taken against me. Raut had made a prestige issue out of my criticism in the wake of debacle in Lok Sabha elections. Congress is going to meet the same fate in Assembly elections too. Raut has finished Congress in North Nagpur as not a single pro-people decision has been taken for the past few years. There are several leaders in North Nagpur who can replace Nitin Raut. But Manikrao Thakre, the MPCC President, being friend of Nitin Raut, does not respect the loyal workers like me. I had met Thakre a couple of days ago and apprised him of political situation in North Nagpur. I told Thakre that Nitin Raut could be defeated in the next Assembly elections as he has not done any development of the constituency even after being a minister for the past 10 years. Therefore, I have told the party high command to revoke the decision of removing me from party posts and if it is not done in the next 2-3 days, I will quit Congress,” Dronkar said.
Raja Dronkar was earlier issued a show cause notice on May 23 for his anti-party activities by Ganesh Patil, the MPCC General Secretary after the Raut camp had launched a counter attack against Dronkar and took the matter in high command’s court. The show cause notice had asked Dronkar to file his reply which was done by the revolting leader.
However, Dronkar’s reply did not go well with the Congress high command and he was subsequently removed from all the party posts. In a letter sent to Raja Dronkar the MPCC General Secretary Ganesh Patil said, “You launched a tirade against party high command publicly through newspapers and other means. You were issued a show cause notice in this connection. You have sent your clarification to MPCC President Manikrao Thakre. But your clarification is not appropriate and comprehensive. Therefore, on the directives of MPCC President Manikrao Thakre, you are hereby informed that for your criticism of party high command publicly through newspapers and breach of party discipline, you are removed from all party organizational posts till further orders.” The copy of the letter has also been forwarded to Nagpur City Congress Committee President Vikas Thakre.
It may be recalled, Nagpur Today had run a report titled: “Cong leader Dronkar issued show cause notice for blaming Raut for party’s debacle in LS polls” in which it was reported that 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.
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.
