Nagpur: The public rally on Sunday to mark culmination of the Jan Sangharsh Yatra was marred by poor attendance and some important party leaders of the city skipping it. That factionalism in the party refuses to die down even as Lok Sabha elections are round the corner has come as shock for party workers and leaders alike.“The historic Congress Working Committee meeting on October 2 at Sewagram attended by Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and other top leaders provided a launch pad for the party in the region for the general elections build-up. But far from capitalizing on it, the state party ended it on a miserable note. Hardly 2,000 people attended the public rally on Sunday and several leaders from the region and the state expected to address the crowd were missing sending a wrong signal about the party’s poll preparedness,” said a party leader who did not want to be named.Ex-CM Prithviraj Chavan, AICC in-charge of the state Mallikarjun Kharge and Mukul Wasnik kept away. AICC SC Cell chairman Nitin Raut, leader of opposition in NMC Tanaji Vanve, ex-minister Anees Ahmed, ex-MP Gev Awari, ex-MLA Ashok Dhawad and corporators from group led by Vanve were mostly not seen at the rally. Even recently elected CMs of MP, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, were invited but could not attend.State Congress president Ashok Chavan and AICC general secretary Avinash Pande and city’s ex-MP Vilas Muttemwar, his protégé and city unit president Vikas Thakre held the fort. The rival group blamed Thakre for the poor show and accused him of not involving all party leaders. But Thakre insisted that he had put in his best efforts and the rally was a grand success“The state leadership is not serious about the political fallout of the factional fights in Nagpur and Vidarbha. This is very unfortunate as the elections are fast approaching,” Kedar told TOI. Asked about his absence, Raut said he had left for Delhi for party work. Vanve and others said they were not at all consulted by the functionaries arranging the rally.

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