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Sonia, Thackeray are birds of a feather: Bhujbal

Chhagan Bhujbal, expelled Congress politician and leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, today likened Sonia Gandhi to his former mentor Bal Thackeray of the Shiv Sena who cannot tolerate a whiff of dissent against him in the party.

Addressing a press conference at his official residence opposite Mantralaya in south Bombay, Bhujbal said, "After Sonia withdrew her resignation, I was immediately reminded of Thackeray, who would threaten to go into political exile if there was the slightest voice of dissent against him. This action would suppress the actual issue. He would come back after the dissidents were dealt with."

Similarly, Gandhi by resigning from the party presidency had tried to divert the original issue of persons of foreign origin being prevented from holding the posts of prime minister, vice-president and President. "This shows her real intentions and ambition to become prime minister," he said.

Bhujbal said he and his counterpart in the legislative assembly, Madhukar Pichad, continued to remain leaders of the Opposition in the legislature as they enjoyed the confidence of the majority in the Congress Legislative Party.

Bhujbal said he had "expelled" six MLCs from the membership of the CLP for not abiding by its decision to support Sharad Pawar.

Pichad had similarly "removed" nine MLAs, he revealed.

"We have a thumping majority in the CLP and hence we continue to remain leaders of the opposition in our respective houses," Bhujbal said.

He said preparations are in full swing for the June 10 national convention of the new party being floated by Pawar and other leaders in Bombay.

Bhujbal has been appointed chairman of the reception committee. He claimed that support for Pawar, who has raised an issue of "national self-respect", is swelling in the state.

Congress MLC Vasant Chavan, who was also present on the occasion, ridiculed Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi president and Rajya Sabha member Suresh Kalmadi's statement that he is ready to contest against Pawar in Baramati.

"We challenge him to contest from Baramati and safeguard his deposit," Chavan said.

Meanwhile, nine Congress members from the dissolved Lok Sabha have quit the party in support of Pawar. They are Vitthal Tupe (Pune), Ashok Mohol (Khed), Prasad Tanpure (Ahmednagar), Sadashiv Mandlik (Kolhapur), Datta Meghe (Wardha), Sudharkar Naik (Washim), Madhav Patil (Nasik), Ulhas Patil (Jalgaon) and Suresh Warpudkar (Parbhani).

Two former MPs -- Govind Nikam (Ratnagiri) and Dadasaheb Shelke Patil (Ahmednagar), former Maharashtra Housing Area Development Authority chairman Manohar Kokate, and former Bombay mayor Manmohan Singh Bedi have also joined the ranks of Pawar supporters.

State Congress president Pratap Bhosale has convened a meeting tomorrow of the CLP at Tilak Bhavan, the state headquarters of the party.

All-India Congress Committee secretaries Mukul Wasnik and Sudhir Sawant will attend the meeting.

Notice for the meeting has been issued by Rohidas Patil and Manik Thakre, Congress whips in the assembly, and Shivaji Deshmukh and Ranjit Deshmukh, whips in the legislative council.

Significantly, the rebel group in the assembly led by Madhukar Pichad had 'removed' Rohidas Patil as the whip and appointed Dilip Valse-Patil in his place.

Meanwhile, Five Congress corporators in the Bombay Municipal Corporation, who met Bhujbal and swore allegiance to Pawar, have been expelled from the Congress Municipal Party.

They are Vishnu Kanavje, Suryakant Chavan, Parshuram Manekar, Vijay Kuthalkar and Parvin Rani.

As many as 16 corporators are supporting Pawar. Others have adopted a wait-and-watch attitude. The formation of Pawar's new political party could make them take a decision.

UNI

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