Maha: Thorat quits CLP post, Patole unaware

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat on Tuesday resigned as the state legislature party head, a day after his letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over friction with state unit chief Nana Patole came out, party sources said.

Patole, however, said he was not aware of any such move by Thorat and claimed his predecessor doesn’t speak “with us”, while the BJP said its doors are open if the Congress leader wishes to switch sides.

Thorat, who represents the Sangamner constituency in Ahmednagar district, has sent his resignation to the party high command, said the sources.

The Congress leader is the maternal uncle of Satyajit Tambe who recently won the Legislative Council election from the Nashi division graduates constituency as an independent candidate.

An aide of Thorat said that the Congress leader had written to the high command citing his inability to work with Patole due to the latter’s “anger” towards him. Thorat also said he was not being consulted on important matters.