Switch parties not due to fear of ED, says Atul Londhe Patil on Ravindra Dhangekar joining Shivsena

Nagpur (Maharashtra) [India], March 11 (ANI): After former Congress MLA Ravindra Dhangekar joined Shivsena on Monday in the presence of Maharashtra Deputy CM and party chief Eknath Shinde, Atul Londhe Patil commented on the development on Tuesday.
Congress national spokesperson Atul Londhe Patil said that Shivsena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut revealed a drive being run to arrest Dhangekar's wife by the Mahayuti Government. Patil stated that people should switch parties due to political reasons instead of having fear of ED and CBI.
"Sanjay Raut recently revealed that a drive to arrest Ravindra Dhangekar's wife was started by Mahayuti government. People do switch between parties, but it should be due to political reasons, not under the fear of ED, Income Tax and CBI," Patil said while speaking to ANI on Tuesday.
On Monday, before joining Shivsena, Ravindra Dhangekar spoke to reporters and termed his decision to leave Congress as an "emotional" one. It marked the end of his decade-old politics in the party.
Dhangekar contested the Lok Sabha from Pune city seat and the Assembly elections from Kasbapeth seat last year. On the Kasbapeth seat, he was opposed by two of his Congress colleagues Kamal Vyavhare and Mukhtar Shaikh. Kamala Vyavhare had also contested against him as independent candidates whereas Mukhtaar withdrew his nomination after intervention from seniors of the party.
Reacting to Ravindra Dhangekar's decision, senior Congress leader from Pune, Mukhtar Shaikh, expressed his concerns about the party's internal dynamics. He stated that long-time party workers like himself, who have been dedicated for over 40 years, are often overlooked when it comes to assigning responsibilities. Instead, leaders like Dhangekar, who joined the party later, are given priority.
Shaikh revealed that this was the reason they had opposed Dhangekar's candidature during the Assembly elections. He urged the party's top leadership to reconsider their approach to strengthening and prioritising loyal, long-serving members. According to him, the current trend of prioritising newcomers who later leave the party not only demoralises senior workers but also weakens the party's overall position in the political arena.
Explaining his move, Dhangekar highlighted the importance of being in power to address the needs of his constituents effectively. "In a democracy, power is essential to serve the common people. After discussions with my supporters and constituents, I realised that without power, it was challenging to resolve their issues," he said. (ANI)