Controversial Kanade is Thane Cong president

Unmindful of the continued allegations and total mismanagement in the party affairs Kanade group brushed aside all odds and got re-elected as the city Congress chief.

Kanade himself had been earlier made the president in the wake of the ouster of the then Congress chief P M Hegde, who had earlier supported the Sena cause. The tenure of Kanade was controversial with his opponents alleging total mismanagement, and irregularities in the recent civic elections where the Congress got a bitter defeat. Moreover, when Kanade contested the election for the nominated members his detractors in the Congress saw him out.

The anti-Kanade members in the Thane municipal corporation formed a separate group and clashes often broke out leading to much confusion in the party.

Following this six of the corporators including the former mayor Ashok Raul, deputy mayor Ramchandra Thakur, and Suhas Bhoir, B B More, Kaveri Patil and others were expelled from the party and show cause notice issued to the party MLC and former mayor Vasant Davkhare.

The state party election chief Manikrao Kokate was confident that the Congress will once again see better days.

Meanwhile, Davkhare, who allegedly engineered the split in the party, denied receiving any notice which is to be replied within two weeks. Davkhare, a staunch opponent of Kanade, and another Congressman Kalyan Rai were elected to the pradesh to represent two regions in Thane. When asked as to how Davkhare who is facing charges could get elected to the pradesh, Kokate replied that he was still a member of the party and hence eligible for the elections.