BJP Maharashtra MP Nana Patole skips national executive

MUMBAI: BJP MP Nana Patole skipped the party’s national executive on Monday. He has been in the news for saying that his government had ‘not done enough’ for farmers. BJP insiders claimed that the Gondia MP is unhappy with his party for ‘inviting’ NCP to join NDA. Patole had defeated NCP leader Praful Patel in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, after he quit NCP following a fight with Patel.

“He has been on the war path since he has come to know NCP has been given an offer to join NDA. Even if Praful Patel is not offered a Cabinet post he will become influential if NCP joins NDA. Since raising the issue would not help, he is raising farmer suicides and other issues,” a BJP leader claimed.

Patole, however, refuted this. “I didn’t attend the BJP executive meet as I had a programme in my constituency. Raising issues related to farmers has nothing to do with reports of NCP being invited to join NDA. NCP was always close. When the Devendra Fadnavis government was formed, it was NCP which offered support to the government, while Sena sat in Opposition. I have fought Patel earlier too, I am not bothered about it.”