MUMBAI: Controversial BJP legislator Anil Gote on Monday announced his resignation from the legislative assembly as well as the party to protest against what he called the "growing criminalisation" of the BJP under state BJP president Raosaheb Danve.If Gote really quits BJP, it will be a setback for both CM Devendra Fadnavis and Danve as he will be the second legislator from the state to resign from the party. Last month, Katol BJP legislator Ashish Deshmukh had quit to protest the "indifferent attitude" of the BJP leadership.Gote had spent time in prison as an accused in the Telgi stamp papers scam. He had called the charges against him baseless. "I will submit my resignation to the assembly speaker on November 19, the opening day of the winter session of the state legislature. I am deeply saddened over the way Danve was offering a red-carpet welcome to hardened criminals, which was against the policies prescribed by the late Atal Behari Vajpayee. More shocking was the fact that Danve was justifying his actions," Gote told TOI.Gote, who has been elected to the legislative assembly from Dhule in 2009 and 2014, said he will contest the December 9 mayoral election for the Dhule municipal corporation. "I have decided to contest the mayoral elections scheduled to be held on December 9," Gote said. On Sunday, Gote was irked after he did not find his photograph on the party's banner at a public meeting presided over by Danve.Besides Danve, the banner had pictures of water resources Minister Girish Mahajan, tourism minister Jaikumar Rawal and Union minister of state for defence Subhash Bhamre . When Gote approached Danve to question him, he was not allowed on the dais, as a result of which there was a scuffle between the supporters of Gote and Danve.Gote said that in 1994, BJP leader Gopinath Munde had launched a state-wide movement against criminalisation of politics. In fact, it was then a poll plank, following which the BJP was voted to power. Now, criminals and anti-social elements are welcomed on the dais by none other than Danve himself, he alleged. Gote has been at loggerheads with the BJP leadership since Girish Mahajan was appointed observer for the Dhule corporation polls.

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