Congress leadership takes 'cognisance' of A R Antulay's defiance

MUMBAI: Congress leadership has taken "cognisance" of the open defiance by its senior leader and former chief minister A R Antulay who is sulking over ceding Raigad Lok Sabha seat to alliance partner NCP.

Defying the party, the veteran has issued a letter to Congress workers in Raigad to not work for the NCP nominee Sunil Tatkare, and has publicly pledged support to the Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) candidate.

Tatkare is contesting against Shiv Sena's sitting MP Anant Gite from this seat. Former IPS officer Sanjay Apranti is in the fray as Aam Aadmi Party candidate.

Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had personally met Antulay and apprised him on the party's decision to swap the Raigad parliamentary seat with NCP.

Chavan said yesterday he had a "good meeting" with Antulay, but refused to elaborate.

According to party sources, the Congress leadership had taken cognisance of Antulay's defiance.

In Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg constituency, NCP MLA from Sawantwadi Deepak Kesarkar has been at the loggerheads with sitting Congress MP Nilesh Rane, son of Congress leader Narayan Rane.

NCP president Sharad Pawar and Prithviraj Chavan will be visiting the constituency on April 13 to canvass for Nilesh.