Cong workers plan stir against MPCC chief

NASHIK, May 2: Congress party workers from Nashik and Aurangabad are planning to hold protests against Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committe...

NASHIK, May 2: Congress party workers from Nashik and Aurangabad are planning to hold protests against Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee MPCC president Ranjit Deshmukh at the venue of the party8217;s two-day convention scheduled to start here from May 5.

Deshmukh8217;s alleged dictatorial style of functioning has annoyed the party8217;s office-bearers in Nashik and Aurangabad. While workers in Aurangabad were angry with the sacking of district president Sadashiv Gaike, in Nashik, city unit general secretary Bhagwan Bhoge resigned from the party and joined the Samajwadi Party, criticising Deshmukh.

Bhagwan Bhoge8217;s wife, Asha Bhoge, who is a corporator, announced that female workers of the party would stage a hunger strike at the Maratha Vidhya Prasarak Samaj8217;s campus 8212; the venue of the convention. She added that demonstrations would be held and efforts made to raise the issue during parleys with party leaders.

Accusing Deshmukh of playing godfather8217; to both city unit president Murlidhar Mane and MPCC jointsecretary Jaiprakash Chhajed, Asha Bhoge alleged that they had ganged up to persecute8217; her husband for complaining against them.

It may be recalled that Bhagwan Bhoge, before quitting the Congress, had said that Deshmukh reprimanded him for complaining against Mane and Chhaged. Subsequently, Bhoge was served with a show-cause notice for anti-party activities, during the recent Lok Sabha polls.

Bhoge then resigned from the party on April 24 and joined the SP on April 29, along with 187 of his supporters. His defection was significant as it came on the eve of the party8217;s state-level meeting in Nashik.

Bhoge had been elected as a Congress corporator in 1992 and had formed a breakaway Congress B group in the Nashik Municipal Corporation in 1995, to oppose the party8217;s mayoral nominee, Prakash Mate. In the process, an independent, Uttamrao Dhikale had been elected mayor. Bhoge now claims that the split in the Congress unit in the civic body had been engineered by Mane and Chhajed, who advised him to formthe breakaway group.

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Meanwhile, sources say that party workers from Aurangabad, annoyed with the removal of party chief Sadashiv Gaike, are planning to hold demonstrations at the venue of the two-day convention to let the high command know how popular8217; Deshmukh is among the rank and file of the party.

Cong meet may disturb exams

Academic pursuits will compete with political compulsions at the Maratha Vidya Prasarak Samaj MPVS campus, where 200 students taking their annual examinations, beginning today, will have to shut out the din of 15,000 delegates during the Congress convention being held there simultaneously. MPCC meet gets underway on May 5. According to the exam schedule, first and second year students of architecture will take the pharmaceutical engineering and pharmacology examinations on May 5.

On the following day, second and fourth year students will answer their papers. The architecture examinations are also scheduled on bothdays.

The students will also have to take on the security personnel posted at the venue. Since Congress President Sonia Gandhi is also expected.