Maharashtra Cong Leader Balasaheb Thorat’s Resignation Drama Confuses All

Maharashtra Congress legislative party (CLP) leader Balasaheb Thorat’s purported ‘resignation’ from the post has become mysterious since he himself has made an about turn, saying that it was just a letter written to the high command to express his ‘anguish’ and not his resignation. While Thorat has been receiving open and tacit invites from the BJP and the Nationalist Congress party (NCP) to join, his sudden volte face has unnerved his supporters who don’t understand what stand to take. Similarly, his detractors are flummoxed due to the same reason, unable to welcome him or condemn. The confusion was kicked off by state BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule, who declared that his party would welcome Thorat into its fold. Some NCP leaders, too, are reportedly wooing him in view of his clout in the sugar-rich Ahmednagar district. Thorat and his late father Bhausaheb have been representing the assembly constituency for over half a century. While Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole was projected as the villain of the episode involving Thorat’s ‘resignation’ all this while, the new revelation has created a question mark about Thorat’s next move. His nephew Satyajeet Tambe’s legislative council election win last week is viewed against this background since Congress leaders have blamed Thorat for the defeat of the official Maha Vikas Aghadi candidate in that contest. Hence, most Congress leaders are tight lipped about the quick turn of events