Cong suffers jolt as Barne switches over to Shiv Sena
The Congress in Maval parliamentary seat has suffered a major jolt as its heavy leader Shrirang Barne has decided to switch over to the Shiv Sena.
The Congress in Maval parliamentary seat has suffered a major jolt as its heavy leader Shrirang Barne has decided to switch over to the Shiv Sena. A three-time Congress corporator from Thergaon,Barne will be formally inducted into the Shiv Sena by its executive president Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai on Tuesday.
Confirming the development,Barne said he has resigned as corporator from the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation to avoid any application of the anti-defection law. “Though it is lengthy procedure,I have decided to quit as PCMC corporator,” Barne told this paper on Monday. Refusing to come forth on his decision to quit from the Congress,Barne said,“Everybody knows why I am resigning from the Congress. Things have come to such a pass that I no longer feel the need to continue in the party,” he said. On whether he has been promised a ticket by the Sena from the Chinchwad assembly seat,
Barne said he was confident of getting the nomination,but ultimately the decision will rest with the party high command. “I have worked hard in the area. And I am sure I will be fielded from Chinchwad seat,” he said.
Describing it as a major loss to him “personally,” Pimpri-Chinchwad Congress president Bhausaheb Bhoir said he was shocked at Barne’s decision to quit the party. “He has been a close friend of mine. I was instrumental in his joining the party and later becoming the youth Congress president,” he said. Denying that it will be a major loss to the party,Bhoir said,”Nobody is above the party. Individuals come and go,but the party goes on.” Bhoir said though Barne was a claimant for the Chinchwad seat,he himself was sure of getting the nod. “I am sure I would have got the nod as I was senior to him,” he said.
Shiv Sena district deputy chief Sarang Kamthekar said Barne joining the Shiv Sena is a major gain for the party. “It will further strengthen the Sena which is already on the march after the Lok Sabha elections.” Kamthekar said he had no clue if Barne had been promised a ticket from Chinchwad seat. “Since orders flow from the top in Sena,I wouldn’t like to comment anything.” He however said the Sena has no death of powerful leaders in Maval and Pimpri-Chinchwad area. “Barne is just an addition to a long list of powerful leaders the Sena has in the region,” he said.
Considered as the only Congress leader in Pimpri with a mass following,Barne was supposed to join the Sena during the LS polls. He was apparently promised a Sena ticket from Maval,but due to mass protests from Sainiks the ticket went to Gajanan Babar. Over two years back,Barne who was the Pimpri-Chinchwad party chief was removed from post after ruckus over nomination of a coopted corporator. He along with 12 corporators were expelled from the party,but were later re-admitted. But the cold war between him and Bhoir continued.
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