This is how Congress in MH rose to new year! Angry over berth denial to MLA Sangram Thopte, supporters smash party office in Pune

Pune, Jaunary 01: And here is a typical 'Congress' start to the new year! Reacting furious over denial of a ministerial berth to Congress’s Pune MLA Sangram Thopte, the politician’s angry supporters barged into the party office in Shivaji Nagar, shouting slogans and vandalising the property on Wednesday.

 

Several Congress, Youth Congress and student activists, including a Youth Congress secretary from Solapur resigned en masse from their posts in the party, though the exact numbers are not available. Scores of Congress supporters of Thopte, shouting slogans, armed with sticks and rods, barged into the party office in Shivaji Nagar and virtually went on a demolition spree, vandalising and flinging around chairs, tables, glass fittings, computers, a television set and other furniture.

 

 

"They however did not spare the chamber of city party Chief Ramesh Bagwe", noted other office-staff who witnessed the vandalism. Meanwhile the State Congress President Balasaheb Thorat expressed concern over the developments and said the party leaders would speak to them and sort out their grievances.

 

The horryfying developments came a day after Chief Minister Uddhav Thackery expanded his cabinet to its full strength, which has brewed discontent among sections of the Maha Vikas Aghadi allies on Tuesday. Several senior leaders and legislators of Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress, who feel left out of the cabinet, have been expressing their resentment in different manner.

Late on Monday night, NCP's four-time MLA Prakash Solanke from Majalgaon in Beed threatened to quit his seat, claiming he was disgusted with politics and would only concentrate on social work henceforth. Shiv Sena's Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut, who played a key role in delivering the MVA government, was reportedly sulking as his two-term MLA brother from Mumbai Sunil Raut was not made a minister.

 

 

Several senior Sena ex-ministers like Ramdas Kadam, Ravindra Waikar, Diwakar Raote, Deepak Kesarkar and Tanaji Sawant were also dropped this time. Sanjay Raut smartly attributed this to the limited choices before the party and its inclination to give chance to new and younger faces in the government. On Monday, Thackeray expanded his Cabinet to induct 36 new ministers, including 10 Ministers of State rank, besides six sworn-in earlier, to take the total strength to 43.