A crisis for Congress erupted on Tuesday in Maharashtra after senior leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil tendered his resignation as a legislator.
Patil’s resignation came on the day a senior Karnataka Congress leader slammed the leadership of the grand old party for the Lok Sabha election drubbing.
“I didn’t even campaign for the party during Lok Sabha elections. I don’t doubt the high command; they had given me an opportunity by making me the Leader of Opposition. I tried to do good work but situation made me resign,” Patil was quoted as saying by ANI following his resignation.
The Maharashtra Congress leader, who is an MLA from Shirdi, submitted his resignation to Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha.
Patil was the Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly till March this year. He quit from the post days after his son, Sujay Vikhe Patil, joined the BJP.
On the other hand, Abdul Sattar, an expelled Congress MLA, said that eight to 10 Congress MLAs are in touch with the BJP.
Sattar’s remarks came amid reports that Patil might join the BJP.
“Eight to 10 Congress MLAs are in touch with BJP. Disappointment with Congress leadership in state and their way of functioning are the reason behind our decision. State leadership is destroying the party here,” Sattar was quoted as saying by ANI.
Sujay Vikhe Patil, who jumped ship from Congress to BJP, won with a margin of 2.81 lakh votes from Ahmednagar Lok Sabha constituency.