Two ex-Cong corporators join Sena

Leader of Opposition Narayan Rane said Dhulla and Kapadia had joined the Sena mainly to take the Congress to task for ignoring party workers at the grassroot level.

Soon after the elections were declared, Congress was shocked when Dinaz, widow of Marzaban Patrawala, veteran Congress leader and three-term representative from Colaba, joined the Sena and subsequently nominated for the seat.

On the statement of Samajwadi Party president Abu Asim Azmi to file a defamation suit against him, Rane said in fact he was waiting for the move. “Let him file the defamation suit. I will stand by my charges even before the courts of law. My contention was that Azmi has links with the gangsters, who were either operating from Pakistan or were directly associated with ISI,” Rane said.

Rane came down heavily on the Congress-led Democratic Front Government for staying developmental projects in the entire Konkan region for obvious political reasons. “They are settling political scores since no candidate of Congress or the Nationalist Congress Party was elected from the Konkan region,” Rane added.

Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray, who was also present, reiterated that the days of the Democratic Front Government were numbered.

On the controversy over the birth anniversary of great Maratha emperor Shivaji Maharaj, since the Government has declared February 19 as the official day after consulting prominent persons, his party was not opposing it. “We will consult Babasaheb Purandare, noted historian on the issue since he was also the member of the highlevel committee set up by the government to determine the exact date,” Thackeray added.

Meantimem Murli Deora has reacted strongly to the allegations of Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray that Congress is responsible for the heart attack and death of Marzban Patrawala.

Thackeray had alleged in his public speech that although Marzban was a senior Congress leader, he was denied a cabinet berth in the state assembly. Patrawala felt so hurt that he died of heart attack.

Denying Thackeray’s imputation, Deora said that Thackeray’s claims were totally devoid of any truth. Patrawala had died on October 20, while the cabinet was formed on October 27. So how come we are responsible for his death?, he asked.

Deora dropped a bombshell when he alleged that former CM Rane had held several secretive meetings of his party workers for organising bogus voting to win the bye-elections of Colaba scheduled to be held on February 20.According to Deora, Rane had called meetings at Chembur, Mazgaon, Thane and several other places to conduct largescale bogus voting on Sunday. However, Deora said the State administration was fully prepared to meet any eventuality and ensure that elections were held in a fair and just manner.