‘We have set our eyes on him too’: Devendra Fadnavis’s warning to Congress leader on Satyajeet Tambe

Senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat, a close relative of Tambe, was on the dais with Fadnavis. “I have a complaint with you,” Fadnavis said, pointing to Thorat. “How long will you keep Satyajeet Tambe out of electoral politics? If you keep him out for long, let me warn you, we have set our eyes on him too.”

Although this remark was dismissed with loud laughter at the function, BJP insiders say Fadnavis had spoken his mind. “It was in a lighter vein but it also was indicative of the aspirations within the next generation of Congress leaders vying to get into electoral politics. Satyajeet Tambe’s decision to contest as an independent candidate shows he wants to play an active role in electoral politics as MLC,” a BJP source said.

“In politics, every party has the right to evolve its strategy. We decided not to field any candidate in Nashik. We will support Independent candidate Satyajeet Tambe,” state BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule said.

State Congress chief Nana Patole accused BJP of breaking families and playing dirty politics. “We do not consider Satyajeet Tambe as our candidate. Our official candidate was Sudhir Tambe,” he said, adding that the Congress high command will take appropriate action against Satyajeet.

BJP minister Sudhir Mungantiwar hit back. “The fact is, Congress is not getting candidates. Nobody wants to contest as a Congress candidate, as seen in Nashik,” he said.

Hailing from a political family, Satyajeet was a close associate of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. In 2019, when Rahul came to Ahmednagar for an election campaign, he had visited Satyajeet’s residence.

Starting his political career from the grassroots, Satyajeet, who studied at Harvard University’s John F Kennedy School, served as a member of the Zilla Parishad from 2007 to 2011. He was vice-president of the Maharashtra Youth Congress from 2011 to 2018 and he was later named president of the state Youth Congress.