By Quaid Najmi

Mumbai, Jan 12 (IANS): In a huge embarrassment for the Congress, Sudhir Tambe, the party's official candidate for the January 30 biennial elections to the Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) for Nashik Division Graduates' constituency, backed out of the race here on Thursday.

Instead, his son Satyajeet Tambe has filed his nomination as an Independent candidate, saying he will seek support from all the parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and meet Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis soon, though the latter has not committed anything.

"I have decided to step back in favour of youthful leadership of my son," Sudhir Tambe told mediapersons, amid speculations that the father-son duo may switch loyalties to the BJP.

Tambe's abrupt decision took the Congress by shock and rekindled memories of the rude political setbacks that the party had suffered during the MLC bypolls in June 2022, followed by the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.

The top state and central leaders of the Congress were at total loss to comment on the developments with state Congress chief Nana Patole claiming that he is yet to get a full report as to what exactly transpired and how the official nominee did not file his papers as directed.

"We are trying to get the full information from our senior leaders in Nashik, including Congress Legislative Party leader Balasaheb Thorat, the local party unit and others," said Patole.

The party's chief spokesperson, Atul Londhe, said that they had no idea what transpired in the Tambe family, but Sudhir Tambhe has contacted neither the state or the Central leadership of the Congress so far.

The Tambe father-son duo rattled the party hours after Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge formally announced Sudhir Tambe's candidature. He would have contested for the third time had he not backed out of the race.

Now, there are indications that the party may crack the whip on Tambe in the form of disciplinary action for disregarding Kharge's directives.

Some leaders are also wondering if all this transpired due to any pressure or external influence, or was a well-planned political conspiracy.

The fast-paced happenings took place a day after the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi staged a show of unity for the biennial polls to five MLC seats to be held on January 30.

Besides Patole, the meeting was attended by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Jayant Patil, Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray and other senior leaders from the three alliance partners.

The five MLC seats comprise three from Teachers' constituencies and two from Graduates' constituencies, and the MVA had expressed confidence that it will bag all the five by giving 'one-to-one fight' to the ruling BJP-Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena (BSS) combine.

Unaware of what was in store after 24 hours, the Congress had displayed a large heart by deciding to give the Nagpur Teachers' constituency seat to Sena (UBT).

The Congress would contest the Nashik and Amravati Graduates' constituencies, currently held by BJP's Ranjit Patil, who has been re-nominated.

The NCP will contest the Aurangabad Teachers' constituency for which it has nominated sitting MLC Vikram Kale, while MVA ally, Peasants & Workers Party, will contest the Konkan Teachers' constituency repeating its sitting MLC Balaram Patil.