Union minister for new and renewable energy Vilas Muttemwar, who is seeking a fourth consecutive term from Nagpur Lok Sabha constituency,
has fired yet another salvo targeting the three sitting Congress MLAs accusing them of hatching a ‘conspiracy’ against him in the elections held on April 16.
As reported in TOI on Tuesday, Muttemwar has already taken up the matter with Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Manikrao Thakre and apprised Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s political advisor Ahmed Patel about the large-scale indiscipline in the city unit of the party. Now, in another letter issued to 15,000 party workers and supporters, Muttemwar has accused state textile minister Anees Ahmed, minister of state for home Nitin Raut and former minister Satish Chaturvedi of “hatching a conspiracy” to defeat him.
In the two-page letter sent to all party workers, Muttemwar alleged that the three MLAs were out to destroy the very party through which they had acquired pelf, post and enjoyed fruits of public life. Although Nagpur is the RSS headquarters but it had remained the Congress stronghold for decades. “But now these selfish leaders are out to ruin the party,” Muttemwar said in the letter.
“The three MLAs had openly asked voters in their respective areas to vote for BSP nominee instead of Congress candidate,” he alleged. He said that he was writing the letter to expose the traitors in the party. “They have forgotten that whatever they are today, it is due to Congress party and blessings of Sonia Gandhi and dishonesty will only harm the party,” he said.
Recalling the 1999 simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly polls, Muttemwar said, “Though we fought together, the three received less votes.”
“Raut became an MLA only in 1999, and in both 1998 and 1999 Lok Sabha polls I got a lead of 45,000 from North-Nagpur assembly segment. Raut has nothing to do with my performance and electoral merit,” Muttemwar wrote.
He dismissed allegations that he had master-minded defeats of Congress candidates in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation elections.
The letter thus makes it clear that the temporary truce worked out by chief minister Ashok Chavan at the initiative of Rajya Sabha member Vijay Darda on March 22 night has now collapsed. Apparently, at a dinner hosted by Darda, the three MLAs, in presence of the CM, had assured to work for Muttemwar’s victory. But apparently Muttemwar believes that they did not keep the word and ‘conspired’ against him.
The low voter turn out of less than 44% was an indication that voters were not mobilised in some areas to come out and vote for Congress. However, Muttemwar has said he is still hopeful of winning the seat. But he made it clear if he wins the trio should not take credit for it.