Nashik: Top Congress leaders stepped in on Saturday to stem any rebellion from the dominant Gavit family in Nandurbar.Former MP Manikrao Gavit was “pained” that his son, Bharat, was not nominated by the Congress to contest from Nandurbar, a constituency he represented nine times on a trot till 2014. Bharat, a member of the zilla parishad, had announced that he would contest as an independent candidate. His move would have dented the chances of the official Congress nominee K C Padavi.The party was able to placate the sulking father-son duo after a 30-minute meeting with three central Congress leaders, Mallikarjun Kharge, K C Venugopal and S A Sampath Kumar, at Mumbai on Saturday afternoon.“The trio conveyed a message from our party president, Rahul Gandhi, that I should not contest the polls as an independent. In future, Congress would not do injustice to the Gavit family,” Bharat told TOI, adding that he has decided not to contest as an independent.Bharat would still hold a meeting at Nandubar with his party supporters on April 2 to convey the message of the Congress high command and his decision not to contest as an independent.“My father told the Congress leaders during the meeting that he was dismayed by the selection process of the Congress candidate for Nandurbar. He questioned the party leaders why a loyal Congress leader like him was not taken into confidence while selecting the candidate for the seat,” said Bharat.Bharat said that Kharge told the father-son duo that the forthcoming Lok Sabha election was not the last one that would take place. “Kharge assured my father candidature from the Gavit family would be taken up with utmost importance,” added Bharat.

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