Expelled Deshmukh vents ire on namesake in Cong

MUMBAI: Two-time Maharashtra Congress chief Ranjit Deshmukh on Wednesday challenged the state leadership for expelling him for anti-party activities. Mr Deshmukh has filed nomination for Ramtek Lok Sabha by-election scheduled for April 9 as a rebel candidate. He was expelled on Tuesday for contesting as a rebel. The MPCC expelled Mr Deshmukh from primary membership of the party for six years after his failure to withdraw from the race.

Mr Deshmukh questioned some state leaders who once had deserted the Congress and then returned. The former PCC chief said only party chief Sonia Gandhi had the power to expel him from the organisation. “Only Congress president Sonia Gandhi can expel me since party leaders in the state who had earlier left and rejoined later have no moral right to throw me out,” he said, in an apparent reference to chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh. A few years ago, the current CM had left Congress and hobnobbed with the Shiv Sena. Ranjit Deshmukh claims he is more loyal to the party leaders like Vilasrao Deshmukh.

Ranjit Deshmukh said, “A new era of political adultery and corruption has begun in the state.” He also criticised the party for having put an unnecessary burden on state exchequer by importing a Sena MP, Subodh Mohite, whose resignation from the Lok Sabha and subsequent entry into the Congress had necessitated the by-election. The Congress has fielded Mr Mohite as the official candidate, while Ranjit Deshmukh is the challenger. The two-time Maharashtra Congress president enjoys considerable support in Saoner, Kalmeshwar and Katol assembly constituencies that fall within the Ramtek Lok Sabha constituency.

Also opposing these two will be a Shiv Sena candidate Prakash Jadhav. Earlier, the rebel Congress leader was lobbying hard for the Sena’s support. The Sena after a prolonged wait later decided to field its own man instead supporting a former Congress leader.