Five Maharashtra MLAs skip Cong meeting post Chavan's exit, party says they had prior engagements

five maharashtra mlas skip cong meeting post chavan's exit, party says they had prior engagements

Five Maharashtra MLAs skip Cong meeting post Chavan’s exit, party says they had prior engagements

Mumbai, Feb 15 (PTI) At least five Congress MLAs did not attend a meeting of the party’s lawmakers in Maharashtra on Thursday, called in the aftermath of the high-profile exit of former chief minister Ashok Chavan that has triggered speculation about more such defections.

five maharashtra mlas skip cong meeting post chavan's exit, party says they had prior engagements

Zeeshan Siddique (Bandra East), Aslam Shaikh (Malad West), Amit Deshmukh (Latur City), Sulbha Khodke (Amravati) and Mohanrao Hambarde (Nanded South) did not attend the meeting here.

Congress Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat said all five lawmakers remained absent after seeking permission from him.

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole also maintained that the legislators sought his permission to skip the meeting due to prior commitments.

Siddique and Shaikh said they had commitments in their constituencies, while Deshmukh is not in the state. Khodke and Hambarde had family engagements, a party functionary said.

The party functionary added both Siddique and Shaikh had given their signatures as proposers for Congress’ Rajya Sabha candidate Chandrakant Handore and attended a meeting of party lawmakers on Wednesday evening.

Siddique’s father Baba Siddique quit the Congress to join the NCP last week.

Opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders Ajay Choudhary (Shiv Sena UBT) and Jitendra Awhad (Sharad Pawar-led NCP) were also present for the meeting called before filing the nomination papers of Handore.

In a setback to Congress ahead of Lok Sabha polls, ex-CM Chavan resigned from the grand old party on Monday, triggering speculation about more defections from the party. He joined the BJP a day later and was fielded by the saffron party for the Rajya Sabha elections.

Last month, former Union minister Milind Deora switched over the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena from the Congress. Deora has been nominated by the Shiv Sena for Rajya Sabha polls.

News Related

OTHER NEWS

Guru Nanak Jayanti: Rishi Sunak Highlights Punjabi Heritage In Message, Trudeau Extends Greetings

In a greeting from 10 Downing Street on the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak mentioned his Punjabi Indian origin, news agency PTI reported. The 43-year-old ... Read more »

What US easing sanctions on Venezuela, home to world’s largest oil reserves, could mean for India

This report is the second of a three-part series on recent Indian engagement in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region. New Delhi: The US’ decision last month to ease ... Read more »

Rajshri Deshpande dedicates OTT award to innocent lives lost in Gaza, Palestine

Rajshri Deshpande dedicates OTT award to innocent lives lost in Gaza, Palestine Actor and social worker Rajshri Deshpande won the Best Actor, Series (Female) award for Netflix’s ‘Trial By Fire’. ... Read more »

‘Ramchandra Keh Gaye…’: From Jan 1, RSS to Spread Word of God, Ayodhya Inauguration Among 10 Crore People

‘Ramchandra Keh Gaye…’: From Jan 1, RSS to Spread Word of God, Ayodhya Inauguration Among 10 Crore People In its effort to take the Ram Janmabhoomi message to households across ... Read more »

Ace designer Rohit Bal critical, on ventilator: report

Ace designer Rohit Bal critical, on ventilator: report Celebrated fashion designer Rohit Bal is in critical condition and is on ventilator support, HT City reported, quoting sources. He has been ... Read more »

Bengaluru: Traffic Advisory Issued, Parking Restrictions In Place As Samyukta Horata Samiti Holds Protest | Details

Bengaluru: Traffic Advisory Issued, Parking Restrictions In Place As Samyukta Horata Samiti Holds Protest | Details The Bengaluru Traffic Police has issued a traffic advisory for November 27 and 28 ... Read more »

Vistara Flights Diverted Due To Air Congestion At Delhi Airport | DETAILS

vistara flights diverted due to air congestion at delhi airport | details Delhi: Two Vistara flight has been diverted to Lucknow and Jaipur due to bad weather and air congestion ... Read more »
Top List in the World