Lande dilemma: to join Cong or return to NCP

Sounding confused,rebel NCP MLA Vilas Lande said he was in a dilemma whether to join Congress or return to the NCP fold.

Sounding confused,rebel NCP MLA Vilas Lande said he was in a dilemma whether to join Congress or return to the NCP fold. Lande,who defeated Shiv Sena’s Sulbha Ubale by a close margin of 1,200 votes in Bhosari constituency,said he was under intense pressure from both NCP and the Congress to join their ranks. Lande was expelled from the party for contesting as a rebel.

I have been repeatedly getting calls from top NCP and Congress leaders to join their party. But I have been not able to make up my mind. I have been thinking long and hard before taking any final decision since it involves my political career, he said. On Sunday,Lande held a meeting of his party workers in Bhosari purportedly for guaging their mood and getting support for joining Congress or rejoining NCP. But the meeting where different voices emanated left Lande thoroughly confused.

Though undecided,Lande along with Jagtap today went to Mumbai to attend the NCP legislator meeting held to elect its leader. Jagtap attended the meeting,but Lande apparently stayed away.

“Though Lande did not attend the legislators’ meeting,he had extended his support to Ajit Pawar as deputy chief minister,” Jagtap said. Lande’s dilemma further got accentuated after it was announced that Chhagan Bhujbal has been elected as the leader of NCP’s legislator party at the meeting,which in effect,meant he would be the deputy chief minister.

In Mumbai,Lande held a series meeting with senior Congress leaders,including chief minister Ashok Chavan. Lande kept mum about what transpired at the meeting. His close aides however said Congress leaders were trying to rope in as many as independents as possible to show that they were ahead in the numbers game. They said Lande has been promised a ministership if joins the Congress. Lande said he was in a confused state of mind as to whether accept any offer coming from the Congress or not. “My dilemma is if I join the Congress,the NCP men won’t allow me to work in Pimpri-Chinchwad which is my base. The NCP rules Pimpri-Chinchwad and it won’t allow me to carry out any development activity in Bhosari constituency,” Lande feared. He said he was forced to think about joining the Congress because NCP first humiliated him by denying him the party nomination and then launching a vicious campaign in the poll ring. “Though my heart is with NCP,it seems there is no place for me in the party,” he said.

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