Nana Patole, the BJP MP from Vidarbha region in Maharashtra submitted his resignation to the Lok Sabha secretariat. Patole, who had emerged as a strong voice of dissent within the BJP over the past few months, is now expected to take the fight to people's court.
Nana Patole | via Twitter
Nana Patole had won 2014 election on BJP ticket by defeating NCP's Praful Patel from Bhandara-Gondia parliamentary seat. A former Congressman and three-time legislator, he had joined the BJP ahead of 2014 elections by stating that he had faith in Modi's leadership. Late BJP veteran Gopinath Munde was instrumental in getting Patole into BJP fold as Patole is among strongest OBC leaders in Vidarbha region.
Patole's falling out with prime minister Modi and BJP leadership began when he was not allowed to speak at a meeting of BJP MPs from Maharashtra a year or so ago. Patole wanted to raise the issues and grievances of farmers, his core constituents, but he was bluntly told to keep quiet. Since then Patole has been consistently raising his voice against central and state BJP governments' agrarian policies.
He was also unhappy with central government's decision to implement demonetisation and introduce GST.
He had also taken lead in bringing to Maharashtra senior BJP leaders opposed to Modi government's functioning. In fact, former finance minister Yashwant Sinha came to Akola for farmers' protest because of Patole. He was detained by police in Akola and staged a two and half day sit in agitation which ended only when Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis spoke to Sinha and agreed to demands raised by him. Patole was with Sinha all along and had spoken to THE WEEK from the venue of sit in agitation in Akola.
Patole told a Marathi news channel in Delhi that he had resigned because the government was neglecting issues concerning people. "I am not here just to enjoy power. If the government is not willing to listen and continues acting the way it wants, it is necessary to return to people and fight back," he told the channel.
Maharashtra Congress president Ashok Chavan has made an open offer to Patole to return to Congress and make a common cause against the BJP governments at the Centre and in state. "Patole has taken a decision to quit BJP. If he expresses desire to join the Congress, the decision will be taken by Congress high command in Delhi," said Sachin Sawant, MPCC general secretary and spokesperson.
Efforts to reach state BJP president Raosaheb Danve failed.
