Balasaheb Thorat questions Vikhe-Patil’s loyalty to Congress

Mumbai: A day after his son Sujay joined the BJP, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil is facing heat within his own party as Congress leaders have questioned his commitment to the party. Senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat said that Mr Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil should prove his loyalty to the party.

Mr Sujay Vikhe-Patil joined the BJP Tuesday, causing major embarrassment to the Congress. He said he did not consult his father before joining the BJP. Mr Sujay is expected to get a BJP ticket from the Ahmednagar seat in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Mr Thorat, who is a staunch political rival of Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil in the Ahmednagar district, asked his senior party colleague to make his stand clear on his son joining the BJP.

“The Congress has given a lot to the Vikhe-Patil family, which has been associated with the Congress for the last five decades.

Despite this, the Vikhe-Patils have ‘betrayed’ the Congress at a crucial time. Mr Sujay should not have joined the BJP. Even if he wanted to, Mr Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil should have reined him in. He did not even condemn Mr Sujay’s decision of joining the BJP. Hence there is a lot of distrust. Mr Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil should make his stand clear on the issue,” said Mr Thorat.

He expressed confidence that the Congress-NCP alliance would win Ahmednagar as well the adjoining Shirdi Lok Sabha seat in the Lok Sabha polls.

Following Mr Sujay’s entry into the BJP, speculation is rife in political circles about what will be the next move of his father, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.

However, the Opposition leader said that he will remain with the Congress.