Maha MLC polls: Congress leader says Patole must resign over Handore's defeat

Former MLA and Congress leader Ashish Deshmukh on Tuesday demanded an AICC monitored inquiry into the defeat of party candidate Chandrakant Handore in the MLC polls held a day earlier, and also sought the resignation of state unit chief Nana Patole on moral grounds. In the polls held on Monday, the BJP had won five out of the 10 Legislative Council seats, the NCP and Sena two each, while the Congress could only get one seat.

Handore, secured 22 first preference votes, while his party colleague Jagtap got 19, but the latter managed to get more second preference votes.

Deshmukh said the defeat of Handore, a prominent Dalit face of the party, was highly disappointing and it was the responsibility of the MPCC chief to ensure such cross voting did not take place.


"My demand is that the All India Bhartiya Congress Committee (AICC) should form an inquiry committee to probe the issue. MPCC chief Nana Patole should resign on moral grounds," Deshmukh said.

He said his father Ranjit Deshmukh, had resigned as MPCC chief in 1998 when party candidate Ram Pradhan lost the Rajya Sabha polls.

Earlier in the day, senior party leader Naseem Khan said Handore was given a quota of 29 votes, while the same was 15 for Jagtap. Still Handore was defeated, while Jagtap scraped through.