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Sathe, salve quit Cong; launch new party
Nagpur, Aug 17: Giving a jolt to the ruling Congress in Maharashtra, two senior leaders and former Union Ministers Vasant Sathe and N K P Salve quit the party and announced formation of a regional outfit to fight Congress in next year`s assembly polls and promote the cause of a separate `vidarbha` state.
Nagpur, Aug 17: Giving a jolt to the ruling Congress in Maharashtra, two senior leaders and former Union Ministers Vasant Sathe and N K P Salve quit the party and announced formation of a regional outfit to fight Congress in next year's assembly polls and promote the cause of a separate ‘vidarbha’ state.
The new party – ‘Vidarbha Congress’ - will be launched on September 2, salve told a press conference here after addressing a meeting of pro-‘vidarbha’ Congress workers.
"We will fight against congress on the issue of statehood to ‘vidarbha’ during the assembly polls,” he said claiming the newly-formed outfit has been supported by NCP president Sharad Pawar.
Sathe told newspersons from Gurgaon that the new party would be ready to align with any party which supports their demand for separate ‘vidarbha’.
In Delhi, AICC general secretary Ambika Sonia sought to downplay the formation of the new party by Sathe and Salve and said that Congress was confident the two leaders would not do anything to weaken the party ahead of assembly polls.
Salve said that the Congress high command was "biased" in its response to the demand for statehood for ‘vidarbha’.
"I and Salve were pained to take the decision but have resorted to it as there was no alternative before us as our efforts to persuade the congress leadership to agree to the just demand of carving out a separate ‘vidarbha’ out of Maharashtra had failed to yield results," Sathe said.
The septuagenarian leader, who had been in former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajeev Gandhi's cabinets, spoke of "injustice" to ‘vidarbha’ region over the years which perpetuated its backwardness.
Sathe, however, said Congress would remain "our parent body and Sonia Gandhi the leader as we are forming a separate party because of technical reasons and one cannot be a member of two political parties simultaneously.
The development in Maharashtra Congress came close on the heels of dissent in the party's Andhra Pradesh unit on the issue of separate Telangana state ahead of assembly elections also scheduled next year.
In Nagpur, Salve said that the sentiments among the people for the creation of a separate ‘vidarbha’ state were so strong that those opposing its formation would forfeit their deposits in next year's assembly elections in Maharashtra.
"The Congress has all along neglected the cause of ‘vidarbha’," he alleged. This evening's meeting of party loyalists will finalise the floating of the new regional outfit, salve told newspersons.
Sathe said that the creation of smaller states, which are economically and administratively viable, is the "need of the hour" and in national interest.
Bureau Report
"We will fight against congress on the issue of statehood to ‘vidarbha’ during the assembly polls,” he said claiming the newly-formed outfit has been supported by NCP president Sharad Pawar.
Sathe told newspersons from Gurgaon that the new party would be ready to align with any party which supports their demand for separate ‘vidarbha’.
In Delhi, AICC general secretary Ambika Sonia sought to downplay the formation of the new party by Sathe and Salve and said that Congress was confident the two leaders would not do anything to weaken the party ahead of assembly polls.
Salve said that the Congress high command was "biased" in its response to the demand for statehood for ‘vidarbha’.
"I and Salve were pained to take the decision but have resorted to it as there was no alternative before us as our efforts to persuade the congress leadership to agree to the just demand of carving out a separate ‘vidarbha’ out of Maharashtra had failed to yield results," Sathe said.
The septuagenarian leader, who had been in former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajeev Gandhi's cabinets, spoke of "injustice" to ‘vidarbha’ region over the years which perpetuated its backwardness.
Sathe, however, said Congress would remain "our parent body and Sonia Gandhi the leader as we are forming a separate party because of technical reasons and one cannot be a member of two political parties simultaneously.
The development in Maharashtra Congress came close on the heels of dissent in the party's Andhra Pradesh unit on the issue of separate Telangana state ahead of assembly elections also scheduled next year.
In Nagpur, Salve said that the sentiments among the people for the creation of a separate ‘vidarbha’ state were so strong that those opposing its formation would forfeit their deposits in next year's assembly elections in Maharashtra.
"The Congress has all along neglected the cause of ‘vidarbha’," he alleged. This evening's meeting of party loyalists will finalise the floating of the new regional outfit, salve told newspersons.
Sathe said that the creation of smaller states, which are economically and administratively viable, is the "need of the hour" and in national interest.
Bureau Report