Pune: Congress State President Nana Patole expressed his deep disappointment over the party's defeat in Pune and Akola, attributing the loss to the factionalism and ego among city leaders.
In a candid meeting with city officials, Patole criticized them for not performing their duties, emphasizing the need for improvement ahead of the upcoming Assembly and Municipal Corporation elections.
In the recent Pune Lok Sabha election, Congress candidate Ravindra Dhangekar suffered a defeat by approximately 125,000 votes. To analyze the reasons behind this loss, Patole convened a meeting, attended by key city officials including Congress party's city President Arvind Shinde and State Vice President Mohan Joshi.
Patole scrutinized the booth-wise performance in Shivajinagar, Pune Cantonment, and Kasba Assembly constituencies, questioning why BJP secured more votes in certain areas. Disputes arose when some officials claimed to have delivered a majority despite allegations of aiding the opposition, leading to objections from party workers.
Patole highlighted inconsistencies in the Kasba by-election results, questioning how BJP gained significant leads in neighboring booths while Congress leaders secured majorities in their own areas. The officials struggled to provide satisfactory explanations, prompting Patole to criticize their limited influence despite their leadership roles.
Patole emphasized that he had assured Rahul Gandhi of winning the Pune seat, only to see it lost due to internal issues. He warned officials to improve their performance or make way for others ready to join Congress, indicating the party's readiness to explore alternative options.
To ensure better preparedness, Patole announced plans to conduct booth-wise meetings post the legislative session, listening to workers' feedback to determine candidates for the Assembly and Municipal Corporation elections.
"We need to win these elections, and if you can't deliver, there are many ready to step up," Patole asserted, urging officials to take their responsibilities seriously.