Congress suspends 12 leaders in Maharashtra after alliance with BJP in Ambernath

Representative image

12 workers were suspended by the Congress party in Ambernath on Wednesday after the party's councillors formed an alliance with the Bhartiya Janata Party to form the municipal council leadership.

Vice President of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) Ganesh Patil wrote a letter to Ambernath Congress block president Pradeep Patil and informed him of his suspension.

The letter read: "This is not a good thing, so as per instructions by the state president, Harshwardhan, you are being suspended from the party."

Patil, in his letter, said that Congress had contested the civic elections on its own symbol and won 12 seats in the Ambernath Municipal Council. However, the decision to form an alliance with the BJP surfaced only through the media.

Patil called the decision unacceptable and said that the suspension was directed by state Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal.

“We have fought elections on the Congress symbol and won 12 seats. However, without informing the state leadership or the state office, you have entered into an alliance with the BJP. This is not a good thing. As per the instructions of the state president, you are being suspended from the party,” the letter stated.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also rejected the alliances and said that action will be taken against the BJP leaders invloved in the matter.