Congress Factional Strife Erupts in Chandrapur Over Standing Committee Seats
Chandrapur: Factional strife within the Congress party in the Chandrapur Municipal Corporation (CMC) erupted dramatically on Thursday, as all seven standing committee seats allocated to the party were filled exclusively by corporators belonging to the Vijay Wadettiwar camp. This development triggered immediate protests and a formal boycott by supporters of Member of Parliament Pratibha Dhanorkar, highlighting the deepening internal divisions within the party's local unit.
Controversial Selections During General Body Meeting
The contentious episode unfolded during CMC's first general body meeting, which was chaired by Mayor Sangeeta Khandekar. During this crucial session, the civic body approved the election of sixteen members to the influential standing committee, with allocations strictly based on the numerical strength of political parties represented in the House.
The seat distribution saw the Congress party securing seven positions, while the BJP-Shiv Sena (Shinde) alliance obtained six seats. Additionally, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi together received two seats each, and the Mahanagar Aghadi secured one seat.
Walkout and Escalating Tensions
However, the selection process took a controversial turn when all seven Congress members chosen were exclusively from the Wadettiwar faction. This decision infuriated corporators aligned with MP Pratibha Dhanorkar, who staged a dramatic walkout from the meeting in protest. Municipal officials confirmed that nominations were submitted by party group leaders in sealed envelopes during the meeting, after which Mayor Khandekar formally announced the list of elected members.
According to established procedures, the election for the standing committee chairperson will be conducted in the coming days, once the divisional commissioner announces a formal election schedule.
Allegations of Defying State Leadership
The controversy escalated significantly later in the evening when Chandrapur city Congress president Santosh Lahamge publicly accused Congress group leader Rajesh Adoor of defying explicit instructions from the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee. Addressing a press conference, Lahamge made serious allegations regarding the selection process.
He claimed that state Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal had specifically instructed Adoor over the telephone to finalize the names only after consulting both MP Pratibha Dhanorkar and MLA Vijay Wadettiwar. Lahamge alleged that despite these clear directions from the state leadership, Adoor submitted names of his own choice, effectively ignoring the party's official recommendations and established consultation protocols.
"This is not merely a misuse of authority but a direct challenge to the state leadership," Lahamge stated emphatically during the press conference. He further demanded Adoor's immediate removal as the Congress group leader in CMC, citing what he described as a blatant disregard for party discipline and hierarchical authority.
Broader Implications for Congress Unity
This incident has once again brought to the forefront the persistent internal divisions within the Congress party in Chandrapur. The standing committee holds significant influence in municipal governance, making control over its composition a matter of substantial political importance for competing factions within the party.
The public nature of the protest and subsequent allegations suggests that these factional tensions may have deeper roots and could potentially impact the party's cohesion and effectiveness in local governance. As both camps prepare for the upcoming election of the standing committee chairperson, political observers are closely monitoring whether party leadership at the state level will intervene to mediate the conflict or allow the internal power struggle to continue unabated.
