Mumbai, Sep 22 (PTI) Former Congress MLA Rahul Bondre on Tuesday dropped his plan to join the BJP following a telephonic conversation with party leader Rahul Gandhi, saying he would continue to work for the grand old party despite the difficulties he had faced.
Bondre, who represented the Chikhli assembly constituency in Buldhana district, was scheduled to join the BJP in Mumbai soon in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and state BJP president Ravindra Chavan. However, he changed his decision after Gandhi spoke to him.
A video showed Bondre telling Gandhi, “You called me and took notice of a worker like me. I was holding on because of you. Even if I lose everything, I will continue to work with you and for the Congress.”
Bondre also said he would continue to fight alongside Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, despite the difficulties he had faced.
Congress leaders Vijay Wadettiwar and Yashomati Thakur alleged that Bondre had been subjected to pressure and that cases had been filed against him.
Thakur said Gandhi stood by Bondre during a difficult times, and that his intervention had given him the courage to stay with the Congress.
“I think the decision Rahulji took today is very important. Bondre told Gandhi — ‘No matter how much trouble I face, no matter how much I suffer or how much I lose, Rahulji, I am with you’,” Thakur said.
“This will be an inspiration for everyone. Rahulji is standing by all of us during this difficult period and giving us courage. We have faith in him – for the country, for the Congress ideology, for secularism and for our Constitution,” she said.
Wadettiwar alleged that false cases had been registered against Bondre.
The announcement to quit the Congress was made by Bondre in a Facebook post. The conversation with Gandhi, who is heard telling the Congressman that he is a loyalist and shouldn’t commit the mistake of quitting the party.
“They want to finish the competition by indicting you. Don’t make that mistake. Defeat is the foundation of victory,” Gandhi is heard telling Bondre.
State Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal, who also hails from Buldhana, accused the BJP of blackmailing leaders to induce defections.
Speaking about Bondre, he said that the Congress is a family, which is the position taken by Gandhi.
“The issue is not about one leader. It has repeatedly been seen that the BJP uses blackmail and threats to induce leaders to join the party. ‘One Nation, One Party’ is their strategy. Everyone should oppose such high-handedness. The BJP is attempting to eliminate the opposition by filing false cases. There is also a gang in the state that is involved in splitting political parties, and this tendency should be condemned, Sapkal said.
(PTI News)
