Adilabad: Rebel Congress leader and former Adilabad DCC working president Naresh Jadhav has been caught in the crossfire between the public and his party.
His video in which he appealed to the people to defeat Congress candidate Ramesh Rathod had gone viral but he was pacified when the party high command spoke to him and revoked suspension orders against him.
Surprisingly, Mr Jadhav who had filed his nomination as an Independent has withdrawn his nomination due to party pressure.
But now he cannot campaign openly for Congress candidate Mr Ramesh Rathod since he can’t take back his statement asking the public to defeat Mr Rathod just two days ago. Mr Jadhav may well remain as a mere spectator during the elections.
Mr Jadhav told this newspaper that Mr Ahmed Patel spoke to him and asked him to withdraw his nomination in the interest of the party and promised to do justice to him.
Mr Jadhav went on criticising Mr Rathod for cheating the people of the Banjara Samaj for his selfish gains and how his family had spoiled the political interests of another candidate from the same community.
Mr Jadhav further alleged that Mr Rathod was the person who had created differences between the Adivasis and Lambadas for his political gains.
A senior political leader of Adilabad said, in the changed political scenario, Mr Jadhav could not take back his statements made against Mr Rathod and support him in the MP elections because public would lose faith in Mr Jadhav if he supported Mr Rathod.
Meanwhile, Mr Jadhav is of the opinion that he could continue in the Congress with the assurance given by the top leadership and concentrate on Boath Assembly Constituency where there was no senior Congress leader to lead the party.
The party had suspended senior Adivasi Congress leader Kumram Kotesh for six years who then contested with an NCP ticket when the party denied him a ticket from Boath.
The party had also suspended Mr Anil Jadhav for six years who then contested as a Congress rebel against the party candidate Mr Soyam Bapurao in Boath in the Assembly elections.
Meanwhile former DCC president Aleti Maheshwar Reddy has failed to bring back his supporters into the party.
But, Mr Anil Jadhav joined the TRS and is planning to contest as ZPTC from Neredigonda and is aspiring for the zilla parishad chairman post.
Mr Aleti Maheshwar Reddy tried to get a party ticket till the last minute for Mr Anil Jadhav from Boath. A good relationship does not exist between Mr Aleti Maheshwar Reddy and Mr Naresh Jadhav and also with Adilabad DCC president MR Bhargav Deshpande.
It is surprising to note that senior Congress leader C. Ramchandra Reddy, who is considered to be Mr Naresh Jadhav’s political guru also did not come to the rescue of Mr Jadhav when the party denied him a ticket and suspended him.
