As Shiv Sena faces break-up, Congress rues Handore’s loss

Mumbai: Even as political turmoil within the Shiv Sena party has spilled over, the Congress party is still reconciling itself to the fact that seven of its MLAs  cross-voted in the Vidhan Parishad elections June 20, in defiance of the defied the party diktat. “Seven Congress MLAs defied the party directive for the Vidhan Parishad polls. Two to four MLAs even cross-voted for the wrong Congress candidate. We had allotted 29 votes for Chandrakant Handore, who needed 26 to win but got only 22. The mischief took place at a very high level in the party,” a senior Congress leader told First India.
With Handore allotted 29 votes, Bhai Jagtap should have received the remaining 15 Congress MLA votes, still short of eight votes to win.
“Seven Congress MLAs definitely voted for Jagtap instead of Handore, whose candidature was decided at the high-command level. Rajya Sabha member KC Venugopal and Maharashtra public works department’s Congress Minister Ashok Chavan were entrusted the task to ensure the Congress Dalit candidate emerged victorious just like in the Rajya Sabha elections when Imran Pratapgarhi got all the 44 Congress first preference votes,” this person added.

The Congress leader noted that Mallikarjun Kharge, the overseer designated by the high command for the Vidhan Parishad polls, did not have a hands-on role in the process. “This will have serious consequences for the Congress party, not only in the forthcoming BMC elections in Mumbai but also, across the state; already Dalit sentiments are being roused against the party for having let down Handore’s candidature.”
While the Congress high command has been informed about the apparent violation of the party diktat for the Vidhan Parishad polls, party leaders in Maharashtra are left wondering whether a political recovery is even possible at this point.